Cerebral Palsy

When we speak of cerebral palsy, we should know that it is not one disease with a single cause. In fact, it is not a disease at all. It is actually a group of disorders that are related, but which probably have different causes.

When a person acquires the disorder or disorders after birth, we say that the person has “acquired cerebral palsy.” However, when the disorder or disorders are present at birth, we say that the person has “congenital cerebral palsy.”

Acquired cerebral palsy

About 10 to 20 percent of children and adults who have cerebral palsy acquire the disorder after birth. Acquired cerebral palsy generally results from brain damage in the first few months or years of life and often follows severe brain infections, such as viral encephalitis. Acquired cerebral palsy can also result from a head injury, most often from a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or child abuse.

Congenital cerebral palsy

People with congenital cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be detected for several months. In most cases, the cause of congenital cerebral palsy is unknown. However, thanks to recent research, scientists have been able to identify some factors during pregnancy or around the time of birth that can damage the important motor areas in the developing brain which control the way muscles in the body move. Some of these factors that may cause congenital cerebral palsy include:

• Infections during pregnancy. German measles, or rubella, is caused by a virus that can infect pregnant women. This can be passed on by the mother to the unborn child, or fetus, still developing inside her, causing damage to the fetus's nervous system.
• Jaundice in the infant. Bile pigments, which are normally found in small amounts in the bloodstream, are produced in the body when blood cells are destroyed. But when too many blood cells are destroyed too quickly, the yellow-colored bile pigments can build up and cause a condition called jaundice. If left untreated, severe jaundice can damage brain cells.
• Rh incompatibility. This is a blood condition where the mother's body produces immune cells, called antibodies, that destroy the fetus's blood cells. This often leads to a form of jaundice in the newborn.
• Severe oxygen shortage in the brain. A lack of oxygen caused by problems in breathing or a poor oxygen supply sometimes happens to babies during childbirth. If the supply of oxygen to the infant's brain is lowered for too long a time, the child may develop brain damage.
• Trauma or injury caused by a difficult labor and delivery. When a pregnant woman has difficulties giving birth, an obstetrician (a doctor who delivers newborns) may assist by using forceps—an instrument that grabs the baby by the head—to help pull the baby out. Improper use of the forceps may cause injury to the newborn's head or brain. Additionally, a breech delivery (where the baby's buttocks or legs come out first, instead of the head) may cause an infant to have a lack of oxygen, which in turn can increase the possibility of brain damage.
• Low birthweight. Premature and low-birth-weight babies (those born before the end of 37 weeks or with a birthweight of 5.5 pounds or less) have a higher risk for breathing complications, oxygen shortage, and brain damage than do full-term, normal-weight babies.
• Stroke. A stroke happens when there is bleeding in the brain. Bleeding in the brain has several causes, including broken or clogged blood vessels in the brain, or abnormal blood cells. A stroke in a fetus during pregnancy, or in the newborn around the time of birth, can damage brain tissue. MYTH: Cerebral palsy always causes a profound handicap. FACT: A person with mild cerebral palsy may have a disability that is almost unnoticeable and require no special assistance at all.