Signs of CP in baby — Scope | Disability forum
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Signs of CP in baby

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Nikster1
Nikster1 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
Hi, 

I’m just looking For a bit of advice.

I have a 6 week old Daughter and we noticed at about 2 weeks old that her left arm was constantly bent at a 90 degree angle and lay across her chest with her fist clenched. At the time I thought she was still just curled up from being in the womb, however she’s now 6 weeks and there doesn’t seem to be any signs of the arm loosening and it is still constantly in that position. I have looked back through my pictures and the arm is in the same position in almost every single photo.

I might be barking up the wrong tree, but I googled it (stupid, I know!!), and the position of her arm looks similar to other babies that have been diagnosed with CP.

I had a seizure while pregnant and have read that this could potentially could have contributed to something like CP. 

I suppose I just wanted to reach out and ask if anyone has had a similar experience and if the arm looks like She may have something like CP. any advice welcome. I will be ringing the Health Visitor tomorrow. 

Comments

  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Community member Posts: 2,032 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi, it would be best to speak to a professional and have your baby seen.
    Please don't google anymore and allow this to dominate your thinking.

    It might be something and nothing.

    Was she examined at birth and did everything seem alright then?

    Granny Polly xx
  • Richard_Scope
    Richard_Scope Posts: 3,650 Scope online community team
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    Hi @Nikster1,

    Welcome to the community. Spending too much time with Dr Google is the best thing right now.

    Some of the things that you describe could potentially be indicators of a child having a condition such as cerebral palsy (cp) but not necessarily so. I think the important point here is that you have concerns and you sound as if you need those concerns addressing by an appropriate person. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate if your daughter has cp but I would suggest that you express them to your daughter’s GP. 

     By definition, cerebral palsy is a disorder of posture and/or movement that results from the immature brain either being damaged or failing to form correctly. It is a diverse condition that affects each individual in a way that is specific to them. It can display itself in a way that is similar to other developmental conditions. Diagnosis is normally made by a paediatric doctor after a period of observation and tests to rule out the possibility of other conditions. A brain scan can often assist with identifying areas of brain damage but not in every case. There is no stand-alone test for cerebral palsy, diagnosis is more of a process that looks at evidence from different sources (such as medical history, general tests, scans and observation). The average age of diagnosis is 18 months but sometimes much later, especially if the person is only very mildly affected or has other health issues that are complicating matters. 

    Has your daughter already had an appointment with a Paediatrician? 


    Scope
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  • WestHam06
    WestHam06 Community member, Scope Volunteer Posts: 1,396 Pioneering
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    Hi @Nikster1
                          Welcome to the community and thank you for joining us. How are you? Speaking to your GP is the most appropriate option as they should provide you with support and the right course of action to address the concerns you have. As @Richard_Scope has said Cerebral Palsy is very diverse and can have similar signs to other developmental conditions. A paediatrician will diagnose CP and will often do so after many investigations and observations have been carried out. I hope that you are able to seek the support and have your concerns addressed. Please do contact the community if you need anymore support as there are many lovely people on the community. Thank you. 
  • WestHam06
    WestHam06 Community member, Scope Volunteer Posts: 1,396 Pioneering
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    Hi @Nikster1
                           How are you and your daughter? I hope that you have managed to seek some advice regarding the concerns that you have. Please if there is anything you would like to ask then please do just ask. Thank you. 
  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Community member Posts: 2,032 Disability Gamechanger
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    I see Nickster hasn't replied to us.

    I hope they are all alright.

    God bless their baby xx
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @Nikster1, just wanted to check in to see how things were going. :)
    Scope

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