Title: Premature Birth and Cerebral Palsy | CerebralPalsy.orgCerebralPalsy.org
Headings: Premature Birth
Premature Birth
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How does premature birth increase the risk of Cerebral Palsy?
Low and very low birth weight
Birth weight chart
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Content: premature birth removes these protections and hence, many premature babies must stay in newborn intensive care units. Premature birth does not mean a child will develop Cerebral Palsy or any health issues. Yet, nearly half of the children who do develop Cerebral Palsy were born prematurely. Many of the neurological conditions and causes associated with Cerebral Palsy (such as damage to the brain’s white matter, known as periventricular leukomalacia, or PVL) are closely linked to preterm delivery. Preterm babies also have an increased rate of infection, another significant risk factor for Cerebral Palsy. Low and very low birth weight
Low birth weight (LBW) means a child was born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (approximately 2,500 grams) and is at a significant risk for developing Cerebral Palsy. About 7.6% of births qualify as low birth weight. The lower the birth weight of the child, the higher the risk for Cerebral Palsy. Many healthy babies are born at a low birth weight. Sometimes, babies are just small, with no reason for concern.