Cerebral Palsy

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Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Cerebral Palsy
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Risk Factors

Infants at the highest risk for developing cerebral palsy exhibit one or more of these factors: premature; low birth weight (<5 lb 7 1/2 oz); do not cry within 5 minutes of delivery; sustained on a ventilator more than 4 weeks; brain hemorrhage.

Other risk factors include the following:

• Complications in pregnant mother (e.g., vaginal bleeding after 6th month, proteinuria, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, Rh incompatibility, mental retardation, seizures)
• Breech birth (born feet or buttocks first)
• Labor and delivery complications (vascular or respiratory problems; may indicate brain damage or abnormal brain development)
• Multiple births (e.g., twins, triplets; CP may be due to prematurity or intrauterine growth retardation)
• Birth defects (e.g., malformation of spinal bones, hernia in groin area, abnormally small jawbone, microcephaly)
• Newborn seizures
• Low Apgar score—Infant heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color are each scored as 0 (low), 1 (intermediate), or 2 (normal) after delivery. A total score of 7-10 at 5 minutes is considered normal; 4-6, intermediate; and 0-3, low. Scores that remain low 10-20 minutes after delivery indicate increased risk for CP.

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