Pre- and perinatal risk factors in the etiology of infantile cerebral palsy.

In order to specify the influence of pre- and perinatal factors in the etiology of the different forms of congenital cerebral palsy the anamnestic data of 178 children born between 1962 and 1976 were analysed. The main adverse factors for the whole group were perinatal asphyxia (40%), prematurity (37%) and bleeding in the first trimenon (11%). As expected asphyxia was of foremost importance in spastic tetraplegia and prematurity in spastic diplegia. No complications of pregnancy and delivery were found in 44% of the congenital hemiplegias and in 34% of the ataxic syndromes. Obviously a major part of the congenital hemiplegias is not caused by birth injury but is the consequence of prenatally acquired brain lesions. This group cannot be diminished by perinatal intensive care and early detection by risk programs is difficult since no risk factors exist.