The following are the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. The child may have muscle weakness, poor motor control and stiffness, also called spasticity, of the arms or legs. Muscle stiffness can cause clenched fists and walking with a scissor pattern on tiptoes. Cerebral palsy is classified according to the kind of motor function the child may have, including the following:
Spastic hemiplegia ("hemi" means half) - spasticity affecting one half, or side, of the body (such as right arm and right leg)
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