Cerebral Palsy Causes & Risks

Causes

Damage to areas of the brain that direct movement interferes with the brain's ability to control movement and posture. Cerebral palsy may develop before, during, or after birth.

Causes include:

Brain tissue may not develop correctly during pregnancy. The growing fetus may experience a lack of oxygen or nutrients.
Child sustains a head injury or brain infection.
Mother's and baby's blood types are not compatible.
Mother has rubella while pregnant.
Stroke or bleeding occurs in the baby's brain during development or after birth.
Baby is deprived of oxygen during or after birth.
There are abnormalities of the umbilical cord or placenta, or the placenta separates too early from the wall of the uterus.
Child has meningitis , encephalitis , seizures, or head injury.
Baby has genetic/metabolic abnormalities.

Despite common misconceptions, cerebral palsy is caused by problems surrounding the delivery of the infant less than 1% of the time.

Risk Factors

Cerebral palsy occurs in 2 out of every 1,000 births in the developed world.

Risk factors include:

Infection or blood clotting problems during pregnancy
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Seizures or intellectual disability in the expectant mother
Complicated or premature delivery
Breech birth
Low Apgar score (a rating of the baby's condition just after birth)
Low birth weight
Large birth weight
Type 1 diabetes in the expectant mother
Premature birth
Multiple births (eg, twins or triplets)
Small head
Seizures
In vitro fertilization (in part due to multiple births associated with in vitro fertilization)

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2026 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.