About Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is actually a number of different neurological disorders that affect the way a person moves and the function of the muscles. Cerebral palsy occurs during fetal development or in early childhood, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It occurs during the development of the brain, and abnormalities or injuries during that development result in cerebral palsy.
Lack of Oxygen
Babies who suffer from lack of oxygen during labor and delivery may develop cerebral palsy as a result, but that is a rare cause, says the National Library of Medicine (NLM). There are other unknown reasons why the brain suffers from insufficient oxygen, which leads to damage and can result in cerebral palsy.
Injury to the Brain
If the brain is injured from some trauma or blow to the head, cerebral palsy may result, according to the NLM. Cerebral palsy can also be called by infections that strike the brain, like meningitis, encephalitis or herpes simplex. It may also be caused by bleeding that occurs in the brain, or by the condition known as jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
Prenatal Causes
Most of the time, cerebral palsy is caused by something that happens while the baby is still developing and growing in the womb, says the Mayo Clinic. Often, an infection contracted by the mother is the cause of cerebral palsy. Common infections linked to cerebral palsy include toxoplasmosis, syphilis, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus and rubella, says the Mayo Clinic. A stroke suffered while still in the womb can also be a cause of cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy can also be caused by a congenital defect, which is an abnormality in the development of the fetal brain. There could be a genetic mutation that stunts the normal development of the brain that causes some cases of cerebral palsy, says the Mayo Clinic.
