Postnatal Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood. The definition of CP provides a framework for clinical diagnosis. However, the underlying clinical presentations and etiologies are widely varied. CP is known to be a manifestation of intrauterine pathologies, intrapartum complications, and injury or illness in the postnatal period. This chapter will focus on the postnatal causes. While there is no strict consensus on exact ages, most literature and current cerebral palsy registries generally include children who have incurred an injury or illness causing motor development problems up to the age of 2 years. A significant number of cases of CP arise in the postnatal period, with approximately half of the cases of postnatal CP caused by infections, and with head injury and medical/surgical vascular episodes noted to be additional significant causative factors.