Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a type of disorder that affects body movement, muscle tone and motor skills. In many cases, people with this condition have difficulty performing basic tasks such as walking, speaking and swallowing. Cerebral palsy can occur before, during or after birth. In about 70% of cerebral palsy cases, however, this condition results from... Read More

A stroke is often associated with older adults, but in some cases, a child or even an unborn fetus can suffer a stroke. A child who suffers a stroke has a significant chance of developing cerebral palsy. Learn more about the signs of a stroke and how it can be treated. What Is a Stroke?... Read More

By Lee Vander Loop CP Family Network Editor Hydrocephalus is a Latin word meaning “water on the brain.” About 75% of children with hydrocephalus will have some form of motor disability. This can be in the form of cerebral palsy. The best analogy I can think of to describe the relation between cerebral palsy and... Read More

By John Lehman Most people think strokes affect only adults, but they can also occur in children, even before birth. In fact, pediatric stroke is one of the leading causes of death in children. Children who have suffered from a pediatric stroke also have a high chance of developing cerebral palsy. Like cerebral palsy, pediatric... Read More

By Giles Manley, MD, JD CPFN Medical Advisor Electronic fetal heart monitoring is used in nearly all hospital births in the U.S. The technology has been around for decades. But medical records of brain-injured infants I review each week frequently show that although fetal monitoring was showing the baby was experiencing high levels of distress... Read More

By Giles Manley, MD, JD CPFN Medical Advisor When a mother is unable to deliver a child on her own, assistive equipment may be used to help speed the birthing process. Because the need for vacuum extraction (VE) is always a possibility during childbirth, parents need to be aware of what it entails and what... Read More

By Stacey Bucklin CP Family Network Editor View similar stories. Pitocin is the synthetic version of a naturally occurring hormone called oxytocin that is produced by a woman’s body during labor and delivery. It is used to induce labor or to speed up (augment) natural labor. It may also be administered to help a mother... Read More

By Stacey Bucklin CP Family Network Editor View similar stories. Placental abruption is the separation, either partially or completely, of the placenta from the uterine wall before delivery. Although this condition is relatively rare, occurring in 1 out of every 100 pregnancies, the premature detachment of the placenta can have serious health consequences for a... Read More

Uterine rupture is one of the most feared obstetric complications that, if not dealt with immediately (usually by performing an emergency Cesarean section), can result in serious brain damage to the child or the death of either the mother or child. Read More

When most people hear the word asphyxia, their thoughts turn to suffocation or strangulation. Few people realize that asphyxiation can occur during the birthing process, often causing lifelong complications for the child. Read More