Is Cerebral Palsy Genetic

These are good questions that we receive in our call center quite regularly as parents strive to learn what caused their child’s cerebral palsy. Most parents want to know whether any future pregnancies will result in cerebral palsy.
With the advancement of neuroimaging technology, researchers have been able to study brain injury and brain malformation to understand how genetic mutations, genetic deletions, risk factors, and health status interact to create causal pathways toward abnormal brain development. The research enables scientists to identify risk factors, prevention measures, and surgical techniques for cerebral palsy.
Many organizations are working to reduce the occurrence of cerebral palsy; understanding when, how and why brain damage occurs during various stages of development is crucial to achieving that goal.

According to the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation, 70% of brain damage that causes cerebral palsy occurs prior to birth, mostly in the second and third pregnancy trimesters. Twenty percent occurs during the birthing period while 10% occurs during the first two years of life while the brain is still forming. The industry has identified four key terms to help discern “when” the brain damage occurs.