Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

Doctors tend to be cautious when diagnosing CP straight after birth as some babies with motor skills problems soon after birth do not go on to develop cerebral palsy.

It can take up to two before a firm diagnosis is reached. This is because sometimes symptoms don't appear until the child's nervous system matures.

A formal diagnosis will take the following factors into account:

• the child's medical history;
• the mother's medical history during pregnancy;
• any signs of developmental delay;
• a physical examination to look for signs of cerebral palsy, evaluating whether the newborn reflexes have been retained for longer than normal. Posture, basic muscle function, hearing and vision are also usually checked;
• developmental questionnaires may be used to make a more accurate assessment of the extent of developmental delay.

An MRI scan of the head may be undertaken to guage the extent of brain abnormalities and to rule out other conditions. Blood tests may also be taken in order to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms such as muscular dystrophy and brain tumours. An EEG scan, which detects any abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain, may also be used to rule out other conditions.

If there is still some ambiguity with regard to the diagnosis then the following tests may be undertaken:

• additional developmental questionnaires;
• computed tomography (CT) scan of the head;
• ultrasound scan of the brain.

Results from these tests may also be used in evaluating the likely severity of the cerebral palsy.

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