Cerebral Palsy

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How to Prevent Cerebral Palsy

In certain causes, treating and preventing Cerebral Palsy is possible. A healthy pregnancy is always a good idea, though even parents with the best pre-natal care may have a child with Cerebral Palsy.

Preventable or treatable causes:

Head injury can be prevented by regular use of child safety seats when driving in a car and helmets during bicycle rides, and elimination of child abuse. In addition, common sense measures around the household -- like close supervision during bathing and keeping poisons out of reach -- can reduce the risk of accidental injury.
Jaundice of newborn infants can be treated with phototherapy. In phototherapy, babies are exposed to special blue lights that break down bile pigments, preventing them from building up and threatening the brain. In the few cases in which this cerebral palsy treatment is used, it is often not enough. Physicians then must correct the condition with a special form of blood transfusion.
Rh incompatibility is easily identified by a simple blood test routinely performed on expectant mothers and, if indicated, expectant fathers. This incompatibility in blood types does not usually cause problems during a woman''s first pregnancy, since the mother''s body generally does not produce the unwanted antibodies until after delivery. In most cases, a special serum given after each childbirth can prevent the unwanted production of antibodies. In unusual cases, such as when a pregnant woman develops the antibodies during her first pregnancy or antibody production is not prevented, doctors can help minimize problems by closely watching the developing baby and, when needed, performing a transfusion to the baby while in the womb or an exchange transfusion (in which a large volume of the baby's blood is removed and replaced) after birth.
Rubella, or German measles, can be prevented if women are vaccinated against this disease before becoming pregnant.

Risk Factors

Certain characteristics have been found to increase the possibility that a child will later be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. These risk factors are good warning signs to help children who face a higher risk for long-term, nervous system problems. These factors may be present in children who do not, nor ever will, have Cerebral Palsy.

Breech presentation. Babies with cerebral palsy are more likely to present feet first, instead of head first, at the beginning of labor.
Complicated labor and delivery. Vascular or respiratory problems of the baby during labor and delivery may sometimes be the first sign that a baby has suffered brain damage or that a baby's brain has not developed normally. Such complications can cause permanent brain damage.
Low Apgar score. The Apgar score is a numbered rating that reflects a newborn's condition. To determine an Apgar score, doctors periodically check the baby''s heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color in the first minutes after birth. They then assign points; the higher the score, the more normal the baby's condition. A low score at 10-20 minutes after delivery is often considered an important sign of potential problems.
Low birthweight and premature birth. The risk of cerebral palsy is higher among babies who weigh less than 2500 grams (5 lbs., 7 1/2 oz.) at birth and among babies who are born less than 37 weeks into pregnancy. This risk increases as birthweight falls.
Multiple births. Twins, triplets, and other multiple births are linked to an increased risk of cerebral palsy.
Nervous system malformations. Some babies born with cerebral palsy have visible signs of nervous system malformation, such as an abnormally small head (microcephaly). This suggests that problems occurred in the development of the nervous system while the baby was in the womb.
Maternal bleeding or severe proteinuria late in pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding during the sixth to ninth months of pregnancy and severe proteinuria (the presence of excess proteins in the urine) are linked to a higher risk of having a baby with cerebral palsy.
Maternal hyperthyroidism, mental retardation, or seizures. Mothers with any of these conditions are slightly more likely to have a child with cerebral palsy.
Seizures in the newborn. An infant who has seizures faces a higher risk of being diagnosed, later in childhood, with cerebral palsy.

You should always know your rights. If you have legal questions concerning medical negligence contact a cerebral palsy lawyer today.

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