Elements of the History or Examination That May be Seen in Children With CP
| Perinatal History . | Developmental History . | Examination Findings . |
|---|---|---|
| • Prematurity | • Early rolling | • Increased or decreased muscle tone |
| • Low birth weight | • Thumb in fist after 7 m | • Scissoring of the legs |
| • Neonatal encephalopathy | • Inability to sit by 9 m | • Asymmetric strength or reflexes |
| • Neonatal seizures | • Milestones attained “out of order” (able to pull to stand before able to sit) | • Opisthotonus |
| • Neonatal stroke or other known brain abnormality | • asymmetric creeping or crawling | • Persistent primitive reflexes |
| • Congenital infection | • Inability to walk by 18 m | • Combination of ankle clonus, brisk deep tendon reflexes and persistent Babinski after 18 m |
| • Chorioamnionitis | • Persistent toe walking | |
| • Neonatal meningitis | ||
| • Known hypoxic event |
| Perinatal History . | Developmental History . | Examination Findings . |
|---|---|---|
| • Prematurity | • Early rolling | • Increased or decreased muscle tone |
| • Low birth weight | • Thumb in fist after 7 m | • Scissoring of the legs |
| • Neonatal encephalopathy | • Inability to sit by 9 m | • Asymmetric strength or reflexes |
| • Neonatal seizures | • Milestones attained “out of order” (able to pull to stand before able to sit) | • Opisthotonus |
| • Neonatal stroke or other known brain abnormality | • asymmetric creeping or crawling | • Persistent primitive reflexes |
| • Congenital infection | • Inability to walk by 18 m | • Combination of ankle clonus, brisk deep tendon reflexes and persistent Babinski after 18 m |
| • Chorioamnionitis | • Persistent toe walking | |
| • Neonatal meningitis | ||
| • Known hypoxic event |
The presence of these elements does not mean that CP is definitely present, and their absence does not mean that CP can be excluded.