Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis and Treatments

If your child has cerebral palsy, or you suspect something is not quite right, Gillette Children’s Cerebral Palsy Institute is the right place for you and your family. It is one of the world’s premiere cerebral palsy centers and home to leading specialists and researchers in cerebral palsy. We are devoted to ensuring children live lives determined by their dreams, not their diagnoses.  

Because cerebral palsy is a complex condition affecting many parts of the body, your child will likely see specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, rehabilitation medicine, sleep medicine, rehabilitation therapies, orthotics, prosthetics, and seating.

Gillette Children's Cerebral Palsy Institute provides comprehensive services in one convenient location for children, teens, and adults with cerebral palsy.  We’ll help you navigate the services you need to care for your child.

Getting a second opinion is particularly helpful with a complex or unclear diagnosis or treatment that is no longer working.  Often having another expert’s opinion can help you feel more knowledgeable and confident when taking the next steps to care for your child.  

Infant Diagnosis

Increasing cerebral palsy is diagnosed shortly after birth. Babies born prematurely or who have other significant risk factors are most likely to receive an early diagnosis—often via an MRI study that shows injury to the brain. A neurological exam with abnormal results also helps support an early diagnosis.

With an early diagnosis, your baby might receive evaluations or consultations in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Once your baby comes home from the hospital, regular visits with cerebral palsy specialists play an important role in maximizing your child’s health and abilities.

Missed Milestones: Toddler Years

Most often, children receive a cerebral palsy diagnosis when they are age 1 to 3. Children diagnosed as toddlers usually have a birth and medical history that increases their risk of cerebral palsy. Symptoms at birth, however, might not be clear enough to warrant an early diagnosis.

You might suspect cerebral palsy if your child misses milestones (such as sitting up or crawling) or shows other symptoms consistent with the condition. Your pediatrician or family practitioner might diagnose your child with cerebral palsy—or they might send you to a specialty center like Gillette for evaluation.

Childhood Diagnosis

Although the situation is rare, some children receive a cerebral palsy diagnosis after age 3. In such cases, providers might have missed very mild cerebral palsy symptoms, or your child might have failed to outgrow what was thought to be another condition (such as idiopathic toe walking).

In addition, children older than age 1 can develop symptoms similar to those of cerebral palsy if they sustain traumatic brain injuries, experience a lack of oxygen, or contract an infection such as meningitis. Children whose injuries occur when they are older typically receive a diagnosis of brain injury rather than cerebral palsy.

Although no single test can diagnose cerebral palsy, various tests and evaluations can help make a diagnosis for your child, including:

• MRI
• Computed tomography (CT)
• Cranial ultrasound
• Developmental screenings (during well-child visits)
• Developmental assessment conducted by a neurologist, pediatric rehabilitation medicine specialist
• Evaluation and screening at the Gillette Motor Delay Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic
• Infant and Toddler Development Evaluation

The brain-related issues that cause cerebral palsy are irreversible, however, treatments can improve symptoms and effects—leading to greater independence, endurance and comfort for your child. 

Spasticity Treatments for Cerebral Palsy

If your child has spastic cerebral palsy, treatment at Gillette can involve medications and procedures that reduce muscle spasticity. Cerebral palsy treatment options might include:

• Oral medication
• Injected medication like botulinum toxin and phenol
• Implanting an intrathecal baclofen pump, which stores and delivers targeted amounts of medication to the spine
• Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, and ventral/dorsal rhizotomy surgery, both of which improve communication between the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles

Watch this video to understand spasticity treatments for cerebral palsy available at Gillette.

Orthopedic Treatments for Cerebral Palsy

Over time, cerebral palsy might cause problems with muscles, bones and joints. Your child might need surgery to help address these issues. Here are a few common orthopedic treatments for cerebral palsy.

• Single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) and individual orthopedic surgery procedures (typically performed on the legs)
• Arm or hand surgery
• Spine fusion

Watch this video to understand orthopedic treatments for cerebral palsy available at Gillette.

Rehabilitation Therapy

Following treatment, your child might need help learning how to maximize their abilities, or new ways of moving—this is called rehabilitation therapy, which might include:

• Aquatic (pool) therapy
• Comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation (following procedures such as orthopedic SEMLS or SDR surgery)
• Constraint-induced movement therapy
• Evaluations for orthotics, prosthetics and seating
• Functional electrical stimulation
• Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for feeding and swallowing disorders
• Nutrition and feeding therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Robotic-assisted locomotor training for the arms and legs
• Speech and language therapy
• Therapeutic recreation

Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Seating

During and/or following treatment, your child might benefit from orthotics, prosthetics, and seating options like:

• Augmentative and alternative communication devices
• Computer-access equipment and electronic aids to daily living
• Custom wheelchair accessories
• Braces (also known as orthoses), such as ankle-foot orthoses and custom spine orthoses
• Seating and mobility equipment