*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature L: Laxatives.

Symptoms

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are not usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable from an early age.

Speak to your health visitor or a GP if you have any concerns about your child's health or development.

Movement and development problems

The main symptoms of cerebral palsy are problems with movement, co-ordination and development.

Possible signs in a child include:

delays in reaching development milestones - for example, not sitting by 8 months or not walking by 18 months
seeming too stiff or too floppy (hypotonia)
weak arms or legs
fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements
random, uncontrolled movements
muscle spasms
shaking hands (tremors)
walking on tiptoes

The severity of symptoms varies significantly from child to child.

The parts of the body affected can also vary. Sometimes only 1 side of the body is affected, sometimes the whole body is affected, and sometimes mainly the legs are affected.

Other symptoms

People with cerebral palsy can also have a range of other problems, including:

feeding, drooling and swallowing problems
constipation
problems with speaking and communication
seizures or fits (epilepsy)
difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) - where acid from the stomach leaks up into the oesophagus (gullet)
an abnormally curved spine (scoliosis)
hips that pop out (dislocate) easily
difficulty controlling the bladder (urinary incontinence)
a learning disability - about half of children with cerebral palsy have a learning disability
eye problems - including reduced vision, a squint or uncontrollable eye movements
hearing loss

Types of cerebral palsy

Your doctors may refer to your or your child's condition as a particular type of cerebral palsy, based on the symptoms you or your child has.

There are 4 main types of cerebral palsy:

spastic cerebral palsy - the muscles are stiff and tight (especially when trying to move them quickly), making it difficult to move and reducing the range of movement that's possible
dyskinetic cerebral palsy - the muscles switch between stiffness and floppiness, causing random, uncontrolled body movements or spasms
ataxic cerebral palsy - when a person has balance and co-ordination problems, resulting in shaky or clumsy movements and sometimes tremors
mixed cerebral palsy - when a person has symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy

You may also hear terms such as hemiplegia or diplegia. These refer to the parts of the body affected by cerebral palsy.

Hemiplegia means 1 side of the body is affected, diplegia is where 2 limbs are affected, monoplegia is where 1 limb is affected, and quadriplegia is where all 4 limbs (and usually the whole body) are affected.

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature L: Laxatives. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
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