Exposure to neurotropic viruses like herpes shortly before and after birth can heighten a baby’s risk of developing cerebral palsy , Australian researchers report.
According to the researchers, these findings add weight to the theory that infections can trigger brain damage and the development of cerebral palsy.
The report appears Thursday in the online edition of the British Medical Journal.
“This research underlines the fact that yet another antenatal cause of cerebral palsy has been identified, and provides further evidence that cerebral palsy is very rarely caused by events during labor,” said lead author Catherine Gibson, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Adelaide.
“We are gaining more understanding of the pathology and mechanisms behind the development of cerebral palsy,” Gibson added. “And with this understanding, we may be able to prevent some cases of cerebral palsy in the future, for example through vaccinations against infectious agents.”