What Are Prevention Strategies of Cerebral Palsy?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cerebral palsy affects one out of every 278 children. Although some instances of cerebral palsy cannot be prevented, you can take certain measures to reduce your child's chances of developing this disease.

The Facts

• Characterized by an inability to control the muscles, cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that typically appear during a child's infancy or first few years of life. Cerebral palsy risk factors include premature birth, maternal infections during pregnancy and severe head injuries.

Prenatal Care

• Obtaining early prenatal care and continuing it throughout your pregnancy can minimize your chances of delivering your baby extremely prematurely, a risk factor that may make your baby up to 80 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy.

Health Habits

• Smoking, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs are all preterm labor risk factors, so eliminating these habits before you get pregnant is a key preventative step in reducing your baby's chances of being delivered prematurely and developing cerebral palsy.

Vaccination

• Since infections such as meningitis can cause brain damage, resulting in cerebral palsy, ensuring that your child receives all routine vaccinations--including those that prevent certain types of meningitis, such as the Hib vaccine--may help prevent some cases of cerebral palsy.

Child Safety

• Practice safety habits such as putting your child's car seat in the back of your car and using protective headgear in order to minimize your child's chances of developing a head injury that may cause certain types of cerebral palsy.