What Causes Cerebral Palsy – Conditions Before Birth

Cerebral Palsy is caused by an abnormality or disruption in brain development, usually before a child is born. Factors that may lead to problems with brain development include:

• Maternal infections that can affect the developing fetus. These types of infections include syphilis, hepatitis, HIV and parvovirus.
• Lack of oxygen to the brain related to difficult labor or delivery.
• Traumatic brain injury to an infant from an accident.
• Fetal stroke, a disruption of blood supply to a developing baby’s brain. Fetal stroke can be caused by cardiac disorders, dehydration, and blood disorders.
• Random mutations in genes that control brain development.
• Infant infections that cause inflammation in the brain.

There are certain health issues during pregnancy that could lead to the cause of cerebral palsy. They include:

• Chickenpox, a contagious viral infection. It can be prevented with a vaccine.
• Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by a parasite in contaminated feces of infected cats. This is why pregnant women are told not to clean a cat’s litter box.
• Syphillis, a sexually transmitted disease.
• Measles, a viral infection that can be prevented with a vaccine.
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that causes flu-like symptoms. CMV is spread through body fluids like blood, saliva and urine.
• Exposure to toxins can increase the risk of birth defects. Toxins include lead, lithium, mercury, and alcohol.

You can lessen the risk of your child being diagnosed with cerebral palsy by doing the following:

• Make sure you are vaccinated.
• Seek early and continuous prenatal care.
• Practice good child safety.