Common Causes of Cerebral Palsy

The reasons for cerebral palsy are generally prenatal and are seldom related to events at the time of delivery. When the fetus is developing inside the mother's womb, it is more prone to brain damage than at any other time. Some of the reasons that cause baby brain damage are:

Fever: A fever during pregnancy can be frightening. In fact, if the body temperature goes above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, there is a huge risk of birth trauma. Infections that cause fever and are a potential hazard to the brain of the baby are:

• Bacterial vaginosis
• Chorioamnionitis
• Sepsis

Infection: Maternal infections pose a long-term threat to the wellbeing of the baby. The infections that can lead to cerebral palsy in infants are:

• Rubella: More popularly known as measles, this virus can be prevented if you get vaccinated before you conceive.
• Toxoplasmosis: This parasitic infection results from exposure to cat feces, eating food that is infected with the parasite and improperly washed food.
• Urinary tract infection: Developing this infection during pregnancy increases your chances of delivering prematurely, which can lead to cerebral palsy.

Smoke and drink: If you smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs, the child is at a huge risk of developing cerebral palsy. The intake of all these substances affects the nervous system of the baby, leading to birth injury. It is therefore advisable to resist these temptations to ensure that the baby does not have to fight the ill effects of your bad habits while developing in the womb.

Blood type compatibility: If you are Rh negative and the baby is Rh positive, you are given Rh-immune globulin to counter the incompatibility. However, if it is not detected, the baby can develop jaundice, which if left untreated, can lead to cerebral palsy.

Premature birth: The chances of bleeding in the brain in a premature baby are very high. Such babies also have a tendency to develop respiratory ailments as a result of immature and under-developed lungs. This causes less oxygen to be delivered to the brain, leading to baby injury. Poor development of the brain also leads to a state called periventricular leukomalacia. This is a disorder in which the white matter of the infant's brain is inflicted with holes. Normal processing of the signals throughout the brain and from the brain to the rest of the body is therefore disrupted.

Child abuse: The abuse could be in the form of shaking the child by the parent or the caretaker. This causes hemorrhage inside the brain.

There are, however, reasons which are a result of negligence of the obstetrician. You can contact a cerebral palsy lawyer in such situations.