It’s perfectly normal for toddlers to favour a particular hand, when drawing, scribbling, or eating. You may even notice that your child favours a specific foot too, or any other part of the body. That’s also perfectly normal, and everyone has these kinds of instinctive preference.
However, if you notice that your child seems completely reluctant to use a particular limb or even unable to, you should speak to your paediatrician. It could be hemiplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy that affects the use of one side of the body.
If your child is diagnosed with hemiplegia, which usually appears before the age of two, then your doctor will be able to recommend treatment. This will probably include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, to ensure that the muscles on the unfavoured side of the body are able to do what they need to do.
This condition can range from mild to severe, but more severe cases are usually diagnosed earlier, and the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner your child will begin to cope better.
However, if you notice that your child seems completely reluctant to use a particular limb or even unable to, you should speak to your paediatrician. It could be hemiplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy that affects the use of one side of the body.
If your child is diagnosed with hemiplegia, which usually appears before the age of two, then your doctor will be able to recommend treatment. This will probably include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, to ensure that the muscles on the unfavoured side of the body are able to do what they need to do.
This condition can range from mild to severe, but more severe cases are usually diagnosed earlier, and the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner your child will begin to cope better.