Is Cerebral Palsy Genetic?

Cerebral palsy is an abnormality of muscle and nerve function resulting from an injury of the brain. It can be mild, minimally affecting coordination of one hand. It can be moderate, allowing walking with limitations. And cerebral palsy can be severe, affecting the ability to speak clearly and to move the arms and legs, leaving a person dependent on a wheelchair. Associated developmental disabilities, such as low intelligence quotient, seizures, unusual movements and psychological problems, may occur as a result of the brain damage. Cerebral palsy is present at birth or shortly thereafter, which may lead people to question whether it is inherited as a genetic trait. However, it is caused by damage to a baby's brain during the mother's pregnancy or during childbirth.

Causes

Brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can be caused by a variety of injuries. Any interference with normal growth and development of brain cells and structure -- such as serious infections, extreme nutritional deficits or unexplained fetal complications -- can be the root of cerebral palsy. Brain damage resulting from a brief lack of oxygen to a portion of the baby's brain during intrauterine development or during labor and delivery may cause cerebral palsy. Pressure directly on the brain tissue can cause bleeding in critical regions of the brain or altered growth, inhibiting normal functional development. Conditions that cause bleeding or blood clots can result in a stroke or heart attack of the fetus, resulting in brain damage that manifests as cerebral palsy.

Risk Factors

Mothers who suffer from physical trauma or disease during pregnancy may be at increased risk of harm to the baby, including the baby's brain. Labor and delivery that involves extreme blood loss, dangerous changes in blood pressure, severe fevers or seizures can result in high risk to the baby's brain. Severe health problems or metabolic disorders in the mother, blood incompatibility reactions, exposure to toxins or drugs of abuse, very low birth weight and prematurity can increase the chances of cerebral palsy as well.

Prevention

Maintaining a healthy pregnancy and good prenatal care are the best ways to minimize the risk of cerebral palsy. Mothers who have epilepsy, for example, are advised to maintain proper seizure control during pregnancy to avoid seizures, which may decrease optimal oxygen supply to the fetus. The most significant way to lower the risk of cerebral palsy is to carefully monitor the mother's health during labor and delivery and to effectively manage any complications. Avoiding recreational drugs during pregnancy, especially cocaine, is an important way to control the risk of cerebral palsy. Many cases of cerebral palsy are unexplained, however, and might not have been preventable by the mother or health-care providers.

Family Incidence


According to the May 2007 journal "Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology," there is a slightly increased incidence of cerebral palsy occurring among siblings -- about 1.6 percent when compared to the general population. There is no clear genetic explanation for this. It is very likely that the risk factors that may have caused cerebral palsy in one child could be repeated in subsequent pregnancies, causing this minimal increase in cerebral palsy incidence among siblings.