title: Neonatal muscle hypotonia--an early manifestation of cerebral palsy.
abstract: Cerebral palsy causes a number of diagnostic, therapeutic, organisational, and social problems. A timely diagnosis reduces the unfavourable effects of the disease and the resulting disability of the children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of the neonatal muscle hypotonia as an early indicative symptom of cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two children with clinical and anamnestic data of muscle hypotonia (from the neonatal period to the age of 3) were enrolled in the study. An active and dynamic follow-up including specialized neurologic examinations was realised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The etiologic factors of utmost importance for CP were prematurity (40.5%) and perinatal asphyxia (26.2%). On the background of differently expressed muscle hypotonia, persisting from the neonatal period, the abnormalities in the psychoneurologic development during the first year after birth were characterized mainly by psychoemotional retardation. Motor deficit was marked from the 1st through 2nd year, and speech disorders appeared after the age of 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of partial or generalized muscle hypotonia in the neonatal age and its persisting in the subsequent stages of the child's life is an early indicative symptom of CP. The diagnosis is possible within the first two years of life, especially in children with perinatal pathology, by dynamic neurologic follow-up and prompt evaluation of the abnormalities in the psychoneurologic development.
authors.affiliation: Higher Medical Institute, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 15A Vassil Aprilov St., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Krusteva
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Krustev
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mileva
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology; D009123:Muscle Hypotonia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors