Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for a number of neurological disorders appearing in early childhood or in infancy. Cerebral palsy affects body movement and muscle coordination. Although cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it is not because of problems with the muscles or nerves. Cerebral palsy affects the brain, or, more specifically, the areas of the brain that control motor movement. The damage to the areas of the brain can occur due to abnormal fetal growth or an injury to the brain before, during or after birth.
Types
There are two type of cerebral palsy: congenital and acquired. People who have congenital cerebral palsy are born with it, and this represents the majority of cerebral palsy cases. Some children develop cerebral palsy after birth, known as acquired cerebral palsy. The two types of cerebral palsy represent different answers regarding the question of whether cerebral palsy can be prevented.
Congenital Cerebral Palsy
There is no means of prevention for congenital cerebral palsy that is due to genetic abnormalities. However, there are ways to reduce the risk of a fetus developing cerebral palsy due to other reasons. Pregnant women who acquire rubella, or German measles, increase the risk of the child developing cerebral palsy, and rubella can be prevented by proper vaccination. There are also Rh incompatibilities between the mother and the fetus that can increase the risk of cerebral palsy, and these incompatibilities can be managed early in the pregnancy. The exact treatment depends on the Rh incompatibility, but, for example, for a mother who is Rh-negative and a baby who is Rh-positive, a Rh-immune globulin treatment will be administered at about 28 weeks of gestation and again after the baby is born.
Acquired Cerebral Palsy
Acquired cerebral palsy is often due to preventable head injuries. Using bicycle helmets while riding bikes reduces the risk of childhood head injuries, thereby reducing the risk of acquired cerebral palsy. Using car seat in automobiles when traveling can also reduce the risk of head injuries. Additionally, common sense approaches to monitoring children and their activities, such as staying with them while they are in a bathtub, can help prevent head injuries.
Asphyxia
In the past, doctors often blamed an infant born with cerebral palsy to complications arising from asphyxia during labor. Asphyxia is a condition of someone not having enough oxygen. If a fetus experiences asphyxia before birth, the complications can result in cerebral palsy. However, it was later discovered that few children who experience asphyxia prior to birth develop cerebral palsy or any other neurological disorder. Still, it is important to do everything possible to avoid complications of pregnancy, as between 5 and 10 percent of people with congenital cerebral palsy contracted it due to birth complications such as asphyxia of the fetus.
Other Risk Factors
Reducing the risk factors for brain damage in a fetus or newborn lowers the risk of the child developing cerebral palsy. The risk factors include low birth weight and premature birth, infections during pregnancy, multiple births (twins, triplets and other multiple births) and exposure to toxic substances. For the newborn, a severe case of jaundice that goes untreated increases the risk of cerebral palsy.
