Possible injuries leading to cerebral palsy (e.g. strangulation by umbilical chord or other causes)?

Question

(Is strangulation a possible cause?) -- Is there more knowledge now (compared to forty years ago) that allows a doc to understand that an injury is occurring, and/or are there newer techniques (in the last forty years or so) to deal with it (to prevent cerebral palsy). (Especially interested in techniques around the birth to halt the injury).

Answer 1

CP is a rather broad 'umbrella term that includes many, many different types of brain injuries between fetal age and about age 3-5.

I guess to answer your question, I'd say yes and no.

My son has CP and he was perfectly healthy until the day of his birth. Something happened that traumatized him, and the increased blood pressure caused his brain to bleed (a stroke).

Basically, this is the basis of CP. The cerebrovascular accident (cva) can happen in any part of the brain (this is why all CP patients are different in symptoms and severity) and happen at any time where there is trauma, elevated blood pressure, or under formation of the brain tissue.

To put it simply, no one can predict the occurrence, except that medical professionals have done a great deal of statistical research and revealed dangerous vital signs that would indicate the baby is under trauma (low pulse or tacchacardia (extremely high heart rate and pulse), extreme dehydration of the mother, elevated blood pressure, etc. Once these signs appear, it's only a matter of time before something permanently damaging happens, either in the brain or elsewhere in the body.

So certainly an nuchal cord (term for cord around baby's neck) will be a sure sign baby is undergoing some trauma.

You might want to know that if caught early enough, stem cells from the cord blood (if saved at birth) can be used to help reverse some of the damage.

While CVAs , strokes are devastating to adults, children are more resilient because their brains have not matured, so some of the 'network' connections will develop later, and maybe some of the damaged connections will redevelop with early and frequent physical and occupational therapy. We started my son into early intervention therapies at 4 months. He is now nearly five, and tests out normal in the school systems (vs. special ed, where we expected him to be. Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, strangulation by the umbilical cord is a possibility of hypoxic ischemic injry. Also, fetal distress is just as traumatic as strangulation. If the baby is not getting an adequate amount of oxygen to the brain, depending on the severity of oxygen loss, this will cause hypoxic ischemic injury. Also top that with high fever caused from a bacterial infection in the placenta, and you got a recipe for disaster.

My daughter was injured during birth and it could've been prevented. Standard of care is always essential but unfortunately the nurse on duty was not paying attention to the monitor and my daughter went into fetal distress for 3 hours. She aspirated meconium (first bowel movement) into her lungs and immediately went into seizures after birth. She is now 6 years old and has athetoid cerebral palsy, developmental delay and hearing loss. The CP is mild and hemaplegic (on the right side of her extremities). She does not talk and is not potty trained, goes to physical, speech and occupational therapy five days per week since she was 3 weeks old.

There is something called a fetal oxygen monitor which is attached to the baby's head in addition to the fetal monitor. It measures the level of oxygen to the baby and gives the doctor more detail on whether the baby can take longer labor or if the doctor needs to perform an emergency c-section (depending on the situation). It has been on the market maybe 5 years but is not used in every hospital. It was purchased by the hospital my child was born in only after her tragedy.

If you or someone you know is having a difficult labor make sure the staff is alert and ready to do whatever it takes to get the baby out and breathing with oxygen.

Answer 3

yes, strangulation by the umbilical cord is one of the causes. long labour, forceps delivery, injury before or after birth, low fetal heartbeat during labour. and numerous others.I knew a woman who developed CP after surgery at the age of 6. Anything that cuts of the flow of oxygen to the brain for a few seconds can cause CP.

Answer 4

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