Intrauterine infection and cerebral palsy

Abstract

Intrauterine infection is an underappreciated but vital cause of cerebral palsy (CP). While the origin of cerebral palsy is multifactorial, we explore the evidence linking infection in pregnancy and development of cerebral palsy. In this chapter, we begin with a review of embryologic brain development in humans to understand the etiology of cerebral palsy on a structural level. We will then describe the role of cytokines in inflammation and their effect on brain development in a broad sense before introducing the fetal inflammatory response syndrome to describe intrauterine inflammation. We conclude the chapter by discussing the quintessential link between intrauterine infection and cerebral palsy, both in humans and animal models.