Can’t stop worrying about Cerbral Palsy

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Hi,

I’m hoping some people can put my mind at ease!

My little one is 5 months and sometimes feels really stiff, and other times not. Her stomach is weak. Like once I had to use full force to lift her arm up.

I first noticed things where odd when she looked asymmetrical, the left shoulder appears internally rotated and hand is 80% of the time with thumb in.

She never really moves her arms above her shoulder. Only occasionally have I seen her do it. And it’s really hard to like get her in jackets etc! Her fingers seem curled.

The right side can also be fisted too but I would say more open than the left.

Her movements can be jerky and her co-ordination for a 5 month old seems to be behind I would say.

She can hold toys, and grab at toys and bring to midline, and bring to mouth etc.

She has okay head control!

She can roll back to front (right to left). On tummy time though she’s not very good at lifting her head. She’ll do it. Then get tired I guess and have to then lift it up again.

Her legs also concern me. Again. Look asymmetrical. Can kick them, Infact does so quite a lot. My concern her is that the feet tends to turn inward, and she does cross them at the legs, and when kicking the legs will go over and under and hit each other after a few kicks.

She can get feet to mouth and does play with them.

She babbles, smiles, laughs, can track with her eyes. Very alert. For sure.

When she’s eating and falling asleep her hands/arms will move up and down.
She also arches her back ALOT. And I can’t think why!

All I can think of is CP.

I have seen a dr, general paediatrician, 2x nhs physios and they’ve all said she’s doing great developmentally and actually think I’m crazy first time mum. So much so I’ve got referred to a psychiatrist, but all I’m telling them is how much my little one has CP and no one believes me.

Is there anyway the above could not be CP and something else?

The only thing I can think of what caused it as I didn’t have a traumatic birth, but when she was 2 days old in the hospital, I was putting her the hospital crib and she sort of dropped into it. I didn’t think anything of it as she stayed asleep. Now I’m wondering what if she was unconscious or something and had lack of oxygen with brain swelling and I’ve not noticed!

Help :(

She sounds like a perfectly average five month old baby. You’ve had her checked by a number of professionals and none of them are concerned. You need some support with your anxiety.

Would you trust any doctor who said she didn’t have CP or could you only believe one who said she does have it?

The doctors/medical professionals that have seen her wouldn't dismiss CP if they had seen any worrying signs.
My DD hated tummy time and lifting her head up but shes a very healthy active 2 year old now.

Please try and get some help for your anxiety.

You need to get some help for your mental health. There's nothing wrong with your baby

You need help for your anxiety. Dts were micro preemie, I was convinced one of them had CP, dragging her arm and leg on the right hand side. She is and was absolutely fine.

It would be unlikely that so many HCPs have missed something like CP op and what you describe doesn't sound unusual for a 5 month old . The arching back thing can be a sign of silent reflux which is very common in newborns and babies. Mine did that a lot. The fisted hands also normal and i can still remember trying to thread balled up little hands into sleeves and gloves and straightening them out to wash them.

It does sound like post natal anxiety which is very common but really horrible to go through. It robs you of any joy and I remember it well ( I had an emergency csection for pre eclampsia and DD was in NICU for 10 days with respiratory distress which goes a long way to explain my anxiety).

Seeing a psychiatrist is a good thing. I wish there'd been some help back in the day when I was going through it. I really hope it will help. It's awful to be constantly worried and forever looking for signs to confirm your suspicions. I can really empathise. Take any help going is my advice 💐

How far did you drop her into the cot, a couple of centimetres? I think I've done that to all my babies (I'm very clumsy ) and they have all been absolutely fine. I don't think a fall like that could cause damage, especially if she stayed asleep.

@BertieBottsIt was the hospital cribs, so I guess no more than 30cm? Just wondering about the momentum. I’d never held a newborn before, she was asleep but sort of rolled off my arm as I was lowering her!

@FootnoteI don’t know! I want to trust them so bad, but maybe only a neurologist or an MRI would settle my nerves.

That or waiting until she’s actually walking fine! But that’s a long way off!
@

I think a paediatrician would know just as well, just think how many babies without CP they would have seen.

Maybe you could pay for a private second opinion ?

How have the sessions with your psychiatrist gone op?

What could someone on the internet who hasn’t seen your child say to reassure you, when a Gp, paediatrician & 2 x physios who have expertise & have actually seen your child not been able to reassure you?

@CandyLeBonBon okay! She’s says she can’t say either way, but I just think it. So it’s like when ever I see my baby like with her inturned feet and asymmetry I can voice it too her. Just sort of telling her what’s on mind. A bit like counselling.

@DistrictCommissioner I was hoping that someone whose baby had asymmetrical posture and turned in legs that scissor, they turned out okay.

OP, I am a teacher, and I can tell you that when you see so many children, a child who is not presenting as 'normal' is pretty easy to spot.

So for all those health professionals, who are used to seeing dozens children who all fall in the range of normal and those who don't, they really will spot it if there is any evidence of CP.

My dd had to have an MRI scan, it involves a general anaesthetic and is not something they are going to do unless there is evidence.

What you describe is normal. bones aer still soft, so feet looked turned in on many babies until they start weight bearing. My ds had one foot which was completely not straight, half turned under, until he started standing and it immediately straightened out. Babies do arch their back and it is impossible to get a young baby into jackets gloves and cardigans!

You sound so anxious. Please accept the help of the psychiatrist

Cerebral palsy is caused by oxygen deprivation during birth. My friends son has CP. He was born by emergency c section, was not breathing and needed to be resuscitated. I'm honestly saying this with kindness but you sound a bit crazy and I think you need to talk to your GP about how you're doing.

My 30 year old son has CP (severely disabled). As a five month baby other than holding his head up he could do almost nine of what you describe. Even with a less disabled child there would be a marked difference in motor function. Try to stop worrying and enjoy this time. It goes quickly enough.

Oh and also my sister has turned in feet, it was eventually attributed to her neck and she was treated by a cranial osteopath. Maybe that's something you could look into. Even if there's not something there to worry about it won't do any harm.

Almost none.

There is nothing anyone can say. Your baby does not have CP. You are convinced that your baby does have CP and you are looking for evidence of that, and it’s driven by anxiety.

You guys are actually giving me abit of reassurance.

I expected loads of posts that would say their baby presented like that! But I just want to make sure if there was a chance of CP I get her early treatment

Try to stop worrying and enjoy this time

I'm honestly saying this with kindness but you sound a bit crazy and I think you need to talk to your GP about how you're doing

Comments like this are so unhelpful and simplistic. Telling someone who is severely anxious to try stop worrying is pointless. That’s what makes it severe - you can’t just switch it off sadly. Telling the OP, even ‘with kindness’ that she sounds crazy is an awful thing to say. Anxious thoughts arent rational or logical. If they were it would be a simple matter to put someone’s mind at rest. Postnatal anxiety is a distressing and exhausting thing to go through. It’s good that you are getting help OP. Keep going. You will get through this.

@LapinR0se it’s weird. Because I had all the symptoms first and that led me to CP which has then caused my anxiety!

@DarlingPatrick I dunno I think it depends on the person. People respond to saying things in different ways. I've had friends with post natal depression, ptsd and severe intrusive thoughts, one liked plain talking, one liked softly softly, the other didn't like to talk about it at all. Anyway op I hope you get some support.

@DarlingPatrick thank you, that’s a kind post.

Babies aged 5 months wouldn’t really lift their arms above their shoulders anyway. Clenched fists sounds normal. The kicking thing sounds normal too. Do you go to any baby groups? It’s so stressful having worry like that.