Is baby's stiffening while feeding a symptom of cerebral palsy?

When a young mother is breastfeeding her baby, if the child feels very hungry, he will feed quietly. However, if the child does not feel hungry and the feeding posture is uncomfortable, the child will constantly stiffen and twist while feeding. This action reminds the mother that she is uncomfortable. However, if the child stiffens frequently during breastfeeding, it may be cerebral palsy. You must understand these early symptoms of cerebral palsy.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy in premature infants

The early symptoms of cerebral palsy in premature infants mainly include feeding difficulties, uncoordinated sucking and swallowing, difficulty in nursing, frequent spitting up, and continued lack of weight gain. This is one of the early symptoms of cerebral palsy. As premature babies grow, they may also experience the following symptoms:

1. Motor lag and reduced active movement. Normal children can lift their heads when lying prone and kick their legs when lying supine at 3 months old, but children with cerebral palsy rarely have these movements. Normal children can actively reach out and touch objects when they are 4-5 months old, but children with cerebral palsy have very little upper limb activity.

2. Abnormal muscle tone. Children with cerebral palsy have lower or higher tension than normal children.

3. Abnormal posture. Children with cerebral palsy often have their heads tilted back, fall backward when sitting at 6 months old, squeeze their legs together, and have difficulty in changing diapers.

4. Abnormal reflexes. Normal children have a hug reflex when their head suddenly lowers, which usually disappears after 6 months, but it does not disappear in children with cerebral palsy. There are various other reflex abnormalities.

Simply put, cerebral palsy is a paralysis-like symptom caused by brain damage. When the infant's brain is not yet fully developed, if it is damaged by ischemia or hypoxia, it will cause brain damage and lead to motor dysfunction. Children with cerebral palsy will have varying degrees of motor dysfunction. Some children are limp all over and cannot sit or stand; some children have tight and stiff muscles and cannot walk.

Diet and health care

1. Food should be easy to digest and absorb, and rich in nutrition. Choose high-protein food. Protein is the basis of intellectual activities and is closely related to the brain's memory and thinking. Milk, soy milk, eggs, yogurt, meat, etc. are all protein-rich foods. Also choose foods high in vitamins, because vitamin A can enhance the body's resistance and promote brain development. B vitamins can improve various metabolic functions of the body and enhance appetite, and vitamin D can help the absorption and utilization of calcium.

2. Carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, steamed buns, porridge, and noodles should be the staple food. Too much miscellaneous food will affect appetite and cause nutritional disorders.

3. Eat more vegetables and fruits, and less fat and fatty meat. Vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and fiber, which can keep the bowels open. If children do not eat vegetables, you can chop the vegetables and make them into vegetable and meat buns, vegetable and meat dumplings, vegetable puree, or vegetable soup, and educate your children to develop the habit of eating vegetables.

4. Eat at regular times. Generally, eat once in the morning, noon and evening. If conditions permit, you can add snacks in the morning and afternoon. Eating on time can increase appetite.

5. Engage in appropriate outdoor activities every day to allow sunlight to shine on your skin, which can increase appetite and help absorption.