Cerebral palsy: Diagnosis

Sometimes it is obvious from birth that a new baby has CP, but in many cases it is not. The possibility may be anticipated because of problems in pregnancy or a preterm or difficult birth, or the suspicion may only arise when developmental milestones are missed. Even...

Motor function

Motor function is divided into two types: gross motor function and fine motor function. Gross motor function (or gross motor skills or gross motor activities) refers to the movement of the arms, legs, and other large body parts. It involves the use of large muscles....

Gross motor milestones

There is a usual sequence and timing to the achievement of gross motor milestones in the typically developing child. A large study conducted by the WHO found that, with some variation, almost all typically developing children have achieved independent sitting by nine...

Classification of CP

Over the years, there has been much discussion of the classification of CP. Classification, or dividing into groups, is useful for a number of reasons. First, it provides information about the nature of the condition and its severity (its level or magnitude). Second,...

Tone reduction: General

Muscle tone is the resting tension in a person’s muscles. A range of “normal” muscle tone exists. Tone is considered “abnormal” when it falls outside the range of normal or typical. Abnormal muscle tone occurs in all types of CP. Spasticity is defined as an abnormal...