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When and How to Evaluate the Child with Possible Cerebral Palsy

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Cerebral Palsy

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Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a neurodevelopmental disorder with lifelong consequences. It includes a group of disorders of movement and posture, attributed to nonprogressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often associated with disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception, behavior, and by a seizure disorder. CP may be caused by several different etiologies causing insults to the developing brain at different stages of development. CP is a clinical diagnosis based on a thorough history (prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal), review of developmental milestones, and neurologic examination. The work-up may include neuroimaging, metabolic or genetic testing, and testing for specific disorders. Also, the work-up may include testing for the associated conditions and complications: intellectual disability (52%), epilepsy (45%), speech and language disorders (38%), vision defects (28%), and hearing impairments (12%). These children often need long-term multidisciplinary care and therapies and supports for educational and social functioning to optimize the outcome. The disorder may exhibit a wide spectrum of functioning. Although the approach to treatment and rehabilitation may be similar for most children with CP, a description of the condition based on neuroimaging, and metabolic or genetic testing, may help individualize treatment and also help better predict the associated morbidity and what to expect for a particular child.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Sonika Agarwal

Authors
  1. Sonika Agarwal
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Correspondence to Sonika Agarwal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred I. duPont Institute, Wilmington, DE, USA

    Freeman Miller

  2. Cerebral Palsy Program, AI DuPont Hospital for Children , Wilmington, DE, USA

    Steven Bachrach

  3. AI DuPont Hospital for Children , Wilmington, DE, USA

    Nancy Lennon

  4. Drexel University, PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA

    Margaret O'Neil

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Pediatrics (Emeritus), Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA

    Steven J. Bachrach

  2. Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Steven J. Bachrach

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Agarwal, S. (2019). When and How to Evaluate the Child with Possible Cerebral Palsy. In: Miller, F., Bachrach, S., Lennon, N., O'Neil, M. (eds) Cerebral Palsy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50592-3_16-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50592-3_16-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50592-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-50592-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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