CEREBRAL PALSY NEWS
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Infections a significant cause of cerebral palsy
November 17, 2004
According to a new study, infections shortly after birth are a large cause of cerebral palsy and other brain development disorders in the tiniest premature babies.
Extremely premature babies have a higher risk of developmental problems and it is believed the main causes include infections contracted in the womb and bleeding in the brain. The new research shows the great effect infections contracted after birth, not just involving the brain, can have on neurological problems later.
Nearly half of the children included in the study who had an infection had at least one developmental problem by age two. This is compared to the 29 percent of children who had not had an infection, indicating extremely low birth weight infants must be watched carefully for developmental problems.
The tiny premature infants are especially at an increased risk for infections because their immune systems have not developed as far, and the use of ventilators and other medical machinery can allow germs to enter the body.
Cerebral palsy is suffered when permanent damage to parts of the brain that controls movement has occurred. In the study, there was a 40 percent higher risk of cerebral palsy in children who had an infection in the bloodstream. The majority of cerebral palsy cases are believed the result of events prior to birth, including infections in the mother and brain infections.
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