Cerebral Palsy

Many scientists and researchers are currently performing studies of the brain and low birthweight, as they explore the causes, treatments, and possible methods of prevention for cerebral palsy.

Exploring the brain

Many scientists believe that if something goes wrong during the early stages of brain development—perhaps the developing brain cells of a fetus don't form in the right way, or they move to wrong areas in the brain, or they don't make the proper connections with the other brain cells—it may cause CP; and they are looking for ways to prevent this from happening before and after birth.

Other areas of research that scientists are exploring are how to prevent seizures, bleeding in the brain, and breathing and circulation problems that threaten the brains of newborn babies.

Exploring low birthweight

Low birthweight is also a subject of much current research in cerebral palsy. Currently, about 7.5 percent of babies born in the United States are low-birthweight or premature babies. Since low-birthweight (5.5 pounds or less) and premature babies are at a higher risk for developing cerebral palsy than full-term (37weeks developed), normal-weight babies, much scientific attention is being given to exploring new drugs that can delay labor so a baby can be carried full-term, new devices and technology to improve the medical care for low-birthweight and premature infants, and new information about how smoking, alcohol use, and drug abuse can affect the development of an unborn baby.

These two exciting research areas—studies of the brain and studies of low birthweight—offer hope for preventing cerebral palsy in the future.