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Cerebral
Palsy Prevention
Cerebral Palsy prevention
and treatment information continues to be updated by the scientific community. Studies show that healthy
pregnancies result in lower instances of cerebral palsy, though
even parents with the best pre-natal care
may have a child with Cerebral Palsy.
Cerebral
Palsy prevention or treatable causes:
-Head injury can be prevented by
regular use of child safety seats when
driving in a car and helmets during bicycle
rides, and elimination of child abuse.
In addition, common sense measures around
the household -- like close supervision
during bathing and keeping poisons out
of reach -- can reduce the risk of accidental
injury.
-Jaundice of newborn infants can
be treated with phototherapy. In phototherapy,
babies are exposed to special blue lights
that break down bile pigments, preventing
them from building up and threatening
the brain. In the few cases in which this
treatment is not enough, physicians can
correct the condition with a special form
of blood transfusion.
-Rh incompatibility is easily identified
by a simple blood test routinely performed
on expectant mothers and, if indicated,
expectant fathers. This incompatibility
in blood types does not usually cause
problems during a woman's first pregnancy,
since the mother's body generally does
not produce the unwanted antibodies until
after delivery. In most cases, a special
serum given after each childbirth can
prevent the unwanted production of antibodies.
In unusual cases, such as when a pregnant
woman develops the antibodies during her
first pregnancy or antibody production
is not prevented, doctors can help minimize
problems by closely watching the developing
baby and, when needed, performing a transfusion
to the baby while in the womb or an exchange
transfusion (in which a large volume of
the baby's blood is removed and replaced)
after birth.
-Rubella,
or German measles, can be prevented if
women are vaccinated against this disease
before becoming pregnant.
Cerebral
Palsy Risk Factors
Certain
characteristics have been found to increase
the possibility that a child will later be diagnosed with Cerebral
Palsy. These risk factors are good warning
signs to help children who face a higher
risk for long-term, nervous system problems. These factors may be present in children
who do not, nor ever will, have Cerebral
Palsy.
-Breech
presentation. Babies with cerebral palsy
are more likely to present feet first,
instead of head first, at the beginning
of labor.
-Complicated labor and delivery.
Vascular or respiratory problems of the
baby during labor and delivery may sometimes
be the first sign that a baby has suffered
brain damage or that a baby's brain has
not developed normally. Such complications
can cause permanent brain damage.
-Low Apgar score. The Apgar score
is a numbered rating that reflects a newborn's
condition. To determine an Apgar score,
doctors periodically check the baby's
heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes,
and skin color in the first minutes after
birth. They then assign points; the higher
the score, the more normal the baby's
condition. A low score at 10-20 minutes
after delivery is often considered an
important sign of potential problems.
-Low birth weight and premature birth.
The risk of cerebral palsy is higher among
babies who weigh less than 2500 grams
(5 lbs., 7 1/2 oz.) at birth and among
babies who are born less than 37 weeks
into pregnancy. This risk increases as
birth weight falls.
-Multiple births. Twins, triplets,
and other multiple births are linked to
an increased risk of cerebral palsy.
-Nervous system malformations. Some
babies born with cerebral palsy have visible
signs of nervous system malformation,
such as an abnormally small head (microcephaly).
This suggests that problems occurred in
the development of the nervous system
while the baby was in the womb.
-Maternal bleeding or severe proteinuria
late in pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding during
the sixth to ninth months of pregnancy
and severe proteinuria (the presence of
excess proteins in the urine) are linked
to a higher risk of having a baby with
cerebral palsy.
-Maternal hyperthyroidism, mental
retardation, or seizures. Mothers with
any of these conditions are slightly more
likely to have a child with cerebral palsy.
-Seizures in the newborn. An infant
who has seizures faces a higher risk of
being diagnosed, later in childhood, with
cerebral palsy.
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Early Signs
Before
three years of age parents can often suspect
if their infant is not developing motor
skills at a normal pace. Infants with
Cerebral Palsy are frequently slow to
reach developmental milestones like learning
to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk.
Abnormal muscle tone may appear in affected
children. Hypotonia, or decreased muscle
tone, will make the baby seem relaxed
and sometimes even floppy. Hyptertonia,
or increased muscle tone, will make the
baby seem stiff or rigid. Sometimes a
baby will have an early period of hypotonia
that can progress to hypertonia after
the first 2-3 months. Concerned parents
should see their physician in order to
distinguish between variation in development
in their child and a developmental disorder
in their child.
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