New Study Finds Factors Linked to Cerebral Palsy

The results of a new study found several factors that may directly be associated with cerebral palsy including maternal infections during pregnancy, premature births, and certain findings on MRI scans.

According to the study authors, more research about the causes of cerebral palsy could help form preventive measures. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed 585 children with cerebral palsy born between 1996 and 1999.

Researchers found:

Almost 40 percent of the children were born to mothers who had reported a maternal infection during pregnancy.
Twelve percent of the children were born from multiple births, either twins or triplets.
Nearly 11 percent of the children were born prematurely and 32.2 percent were born through emergency cesarean sections.
Out of the 351 children who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests, 42.5 percent had “white matter damage of immaturity”—areas of the brain that are not fully developed.

“Not only do MRI scans help reveal the pathologic basis of the condition but, also, the findings have strong correlations with clinical findings. This may be useful in helping parents, clinicians, and others involved in the care of children with CP to understand the nature of the children’s condition and to predict their needs in the future,” the study authors write.

“We think it is not unreasonable to assume that with increased awareness of possible preventative measures, over the next decade the rate of CP could be reduced substantially, thus reducing the burden on families and saving tremendous sums of money for health services.”

Please contact us today to speak with a compassionate and experienced cerebral palsy lawyer about your legal rights and options.