How is Cerebral Palsy diagnosed?

A: To determine whether your baby has Cerebral Palsy your baby's dcotor will test your baby's motor skills and reflexes.  The doctor will also look for signs and symptoms of commonly associated with Cerebral Palsy (for example, delayed development, abnormal muscle tone, unusual posture).  Your baby's doctor will also look for unusually early development of hand preference, i.e., the tendency to use either the right or left hand more often.

In diagnosing your child's condition, your baby's doctor will also attempt to rule out other disorders that can also cause muscle coordination and movement problems.  By definition, Cerebral Palsy does not get worse over time.  Your baby's doctor will be looking to see whether your baby's condition worsens over time, as this would indicate that some other condition -- and not Cerebral Palsy -- is causing your baby's muscle coordination and movement problems.

In diagnosing Cerebral Palsy, your baby's doctor may also want to perform imaging studies such as CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasonography to get a picture of your baby's brain.

Finally, to determine whether your baby has Cerebral Palsy, your baby's doctor may want to test for other conditions that are typically present with Cerebral Palsy, such as seizure disorders, mental impairment, and vision or hearing problems.