Birth Injuries

The 4 Types Of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can be separated into four major types, with Spastic being the most common. Regarding cerebral palsy, two terms must be understood on how CP affects muscle tone. They are as follows:

\

Hypotonia: This means low muscle tone, which leads to a loss of firmness and strength.

\

Hypertonia: This means high muscle tone, which leads to rigid and erratic movements.

Below are the four types of cerebral palsy diagnosis that your child can face:

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

This is the most common cerebral palsy diagnosis. Approximately 80% of cerebral palsy cases will be spastic. This includes hypertonia due to the muscle movements being rigid and jerky. Parents must also understand that being that motor functions are injured; voluntary movement is impaired. When this occurs, the brain is unable to send signals regarding the flexibility of the muscles, hence hypertonia.

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Also known as dyskinetic cerebral palsy, this diagnosis that targets the motor functions of the brain. Primarily, the area(s) of the brain that are susceptible to damage will be the basal ganglia and/or cerebellum. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can also be the root cause of cerebral palsy.

Babies who suffer from this diagnosis will also experience both hypotonia and hypertonia. Due to this lethal combination, low muscle tone and rigid/erratic movements will occur. And due to the injury of the basal ganglia and or cerebellum, this type of cerebral palsy affects certain functions in children such as eye movement, motor functions, and balance and coordination. When present, athetoid cerebral palsy can cause the following to occur:

\

Trouble Feeding/Swallowing

\

Floppiness with Limb

\

Rigid Body/Trunk Area

\

Balance & Posture Issues

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

A child who suffers from mixed cerebral palsy in general does not have a brain injury that targets solely one area. Because of this, a baby suffering from mixed cerebral palsy could display spastic cerebral palsy (rigid legs) and athetoid cerebral palsy (poor facial control). This condition is seen in about 10% of cerebral palsy diagnosis.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

This is one of the rarest forms of cerebral and is usually accompanied by poor muscle tone, or hypotonia, which in turn causes impairment to fine motor skills and other movements for the child. Ataxic cerebral palsy can affect the child’s entire body, which then can result in abnormal body movements. The child’s arms, hand, body/trunk and feet will be affected due to the impairment of the cerebellum. Ataxic cerebral palsy is suspected if the child has the following:

\

Balance Problems

\

Coordination Problems: A child’s inability to keep their feet close together while walking

\

Issues With Movements Which Require Precision: Simple tasks such as grabbing an object may cause difficulty for the child.

\

Hand Movement: Tasks such as buttoning a shirt or using a fork or pencil may be challenging due to the hand trembling/shaking.

CONTACT US

Quick Links

HIE

Cerebral Palsy

Meconium

FAQs

Resources

Glossary

Contact

Latest Articles

When Contractions Come Too Close Together During Labor And A Baby Has HIE

A mother recently shared her story about labor that felt relentless, with contractions coming one right after another and barely any break in between. Her experience is more common than many families realize, and it raises important questions about how labor is...

Why Some Parents Cannot Tell Their Baby’s HIE Story

Many families who pursue birth injury cases involving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy eventually face a crossroads...go to trial or settle. After a recent video on jury trials, several families reached out with questions about mediation and what that process...

Baby Suffers HIE Injury But The Records Say Everything Was Fine

One of the most painful moments for a family navigating a birth injury case is realizing that the medical records tell a different story than what they witnessed in that delivery room. It happens more than most people would expect. A baby can sustain a serious...

How Do I Find The Right Help After My Baby’s HIE Diagnosis?

A parent recently left this question as a comment on one of my videos about HIE brain injuries at birth. It stopped me in my tracks, because it is exactly the kind of question that deserves a real, thoughtful answer. So many families are navigating this...

Follow Us

Join Our Newsletter

ADVERTISEMENT. The information presented on this website should not be construed to be formal legal advice. The use of this website does not establish an attorney-client relationship; however, your responses here will be kept strictly confidential. Any results set forth herein are based upon the facts of that particular case and do not represent a promise or guarantee of future outcomes. Services not available in all states based on this communication. The attorneys of Boston Law Group, LLC have represented clients throughout the United States. They practice subject to court approval in states where they are not members of the bar. An attorney client relationship can only be created through a signed, executed engagement letter. Lawyers who will provide services advertised on this website and who are responsible for this website’s content are principally located at Boston Law Group, LLC, 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100, Largo, MD 20774.