Cerebral Palsy Population

• Cerebral Palsy is more common among boys than among girls 
• More common among Black children than White children
• Over half of the children identified with CP could walk independently. 
• Many children have at least one co-occurring condition, mainly epilepsy. 

Early Signs of Cerebral Palsy:

• Vary greatly because there are many different types and levels of disabilty. 
• The main sign that a child might have cerebral palsy is a delay reaching motor or movement milestones such as rolling over, sitting, standing, or walking. 
• Other signs include (cdc.gov):
• If the baby is younger than 6 months:
• His/her head lags when you pick him/her up while he/she is lying on his/her back. 
• He/she feels stiff 
• He/she fees floppy
• When held, cradled in your arms, he/she seems to overextend his back and neck constantly acting like he/she is pushing away from you. 
• When you pick him/her up, his/her legs get stiff and they cross or scissor. 
• If the baby is older than 6 months of age:
• He/she doesn't roll over in either direction
• He/she cannot bring her hands together
• He/she has difficulty bringing her hands to her mouth
• He/she reaches out with only one hand while keeping the other fisted. 
• If the baby is older than 10 months of age:
• He/she crawls in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg
• He/she scoots around on his buttocks or hops on his knees, but does not crawl on all fours.