Acquired Cerebral Palsy
Approximately 10 to 20 percent of children in the United States with cerebral palsy acquire the disorder after birth. Brain damage in the first few months or years of life, brain infections, such as bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, or head injury account for many of the cases of acquired cerebral palsy.

Congenital Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy which occurs at birth is often the result of specific events during pregnancy or around the time of birth. These events result in damage to the motor centers in the developing brain. Often times, however, congenital cerebral palsy may not be detected for months.

Adequate care during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and immediately after the delivery of the infant is essential. Failure to perform the necessary tests and accurately interpret the results of these tests may cause injury to the developing brain. Improper use of medications, unrecognized fetal distress, untreated infections, excessive use of vacuum extraction, and the failure to perform a timely cesarean section may result in damage to the motor centers in the brain.

Some of the causes of congenital cerebral palsy may also include:

Infections During Pregnancy
Viruses such as German measles, or rubella can infect the developing fetus in a pregnant woman and cause damage to the developing nervous system. Brain injury in the developing fetus may also be caused by other infections such as cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis. Infections of the placental may also be associated with cerebral palsy.

Jaundice in the Infant
If left untreated, severe jaundice can damage brain. Jaundice is a condition produced when excess amounts of bilirubin circulating in the blood stream dissolve in the subcutaneous fat (the layer of fat just beneath the skin), causing a yellowish appearance of the skin and the whites of the eyes. With the exception of physiologic jaundice in the newborn (normal newborn jaundice in the first week of life), all other jaundice indicates overload or damage to the liver, or inability to move bilirubin from the liver through the biliary tract to the gut.

JAUNDICE IN AN INFANT, CHILD, OR ADULT SHOULD ALWAYS BE MEDICALLY EVALUATED.

Newborn jaundice is common and unless associated with an abnormal condition will clear without treatment. Another condition called Gilbert's syndrome is a hereditary condition in which mild jaundice develops during times of stress. This condition, once recognized, requires no further treatment or evaluation. There are also other more rare hereditary causes of elevated bilirubin levels. All other jaundice is the result of an underlying disease, condition, or toxicity.

A yellow-to-orange color may be imparted to the skin by excessive intake of beta carotene, the orange pigment seen in carrots. People who consume large quantities of carrots or carrot juice or take beta carotene tablets may develop a distinctly yellow-orange cast to their skin. This condition is called hypercarotenemia or just carotenemia. Hypercarotenemia is easily distinguished from jaundice in that the whites of the eye (sclera) remain white, while people with true jaundice have a yellow sclera.

Rh Incompatibility
When the mother's body produces immune cells called antibodies which destroy the fetus's blood cells, this may lead to a form of jaundice in the newborn.
Severe lack of oxygen. If the brain is deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period of time during labor and delivery the child may develop brain damage (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy). Birth complications including asphyxia account for approximately 6 percent of congenital cerebral palsy cases.

AN INCREASED POSSIBILITY OF CEREBRAL PALSY

Breech Presentation
Infants with cerebral palsy are more likely to present feet first, instead of head first, at the beginning of labor.
Complicated labor and delivery. Infants with permanent brain damage resulting from vascular or respiratory problems of the baby during labor and delivery are at increased risk of cerebral palsy.
Low Apgar score. A low Apgar score (determined in the first minutes after birth by a check of the baby's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color) is often considered an important sign of potential problems.
Low birthweight and Prematurity. The risk of cerebral palsy is higher among babies who weigh less than 5 lbs., 7 1/2 oz. (2500 grams) at birth. The lower the birth weight the higher the risk of cerebral palsy. The risk of cerebral palsy is also higher among babies who are born less than 37 weeks into pregnancy.

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 nervous system malformation, such as an abnormally small head (microcephaly). Problems of this nature occurred in the development of the nervous system while the baby was in the mother's womb.
Maternal bleeding or severe proteinuria late in pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding during the last three 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 hyperthyroidism, mental retardation or seizure disorders are slightly more likely to have a child with cerebral palsy.

Seizures in the Newborn
A newborn infant who has seizures is at higher risk of being diagnosed, later in childhood, with cerebral palsy.