Symptoms of a five-month-old baby with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy often show delayed disappearance of primitive reflexes, while 5-month-old babies may have tense labyrinthine reflexes, asymmetric cervical limb reflexes, passive supportive reflexes, and protective reflexes that do not appear. 1. Tense labyrinthine reflex: in prone position, it is manifested as increased tension of flexor muscles of the whole body, and children with cerebral palsy manifested as flexion of the hip, flexion of the knee, inability to straighten the lower limbs, high elevation of the buttocks, flexion of the elbows, and clenching of the fists of the two hands. In the supine position, it is characterized by increased extensor muscle tone. Although this reflex is manifested in the normal neonatal period, it does not disappear at 4-5 months of age in cerebral palsy, and it is more prominent than that in the neonatal period. 2. Asymmetric cervical limb reflex: when the head is turned to one side in supine position, the limb on the face side is straightened and the limb on the occipital side is flexed. This reflex disappears at 4-5 months of age in normal children, but in children with cerebral palsy, it is delayed, thus affecting the child’s ability to turn over. 3. Passive supportive reflex: In normal newborns, when the sole of the foot touches a hard tabletop and the center of gravity is shifted to this foot, the lower limb on that side can be caused to straighten. Normally this reflex disappears at 2 to 3 months, but it is often difficult to disappear in children with cerebral palsy. The absence of this reflex or its disappearance after 6 months is considered abnormal, as is the continued presence of the grip reflex. 4. Protective reflex does not appear: at 4-5 months of age, if the body is tilted to the side when sitting or holding it upright, the upper limbs can be stretched out to make a protective gesture. Children with cerebral palsy do not have these reflexes at this age. If your child has any of the above symptoms, it is recommended that he/she should go to the hospital in time to be evaluated and treated by a professional doctor.