Origins of Cerebral Palsy

Analyses were undertaken to determine the causes of cerebral palsy in a prospective study of 43,437 full-term children. Presumed causes were found for about 71% of the 34 quadriplegic and 40% of the 116 nonquadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy. Risk estimates based on predictive models, adjusted for multiple factors, suggest that 53% of the quadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy could be attributed to congenital disorders, 14% to birth asphyxia, and 8% to other identified disorders. Thirty-five percent of the nonquadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy could be attributed to congenital disorders and 6% to other disorders. In the victims of cerebral palsy, characteristic consequences of birth asphyxia were more often the result of nonasphyxial disorders. These included meconium in the amniotic fluid, low 10-minute Apgar scores, neonatal apnea spells, seizures, persisting neurologic abnormalities, and slow head growth after birth.