Question
My sister’s daughter was born prematurely and is now 5 months old, but she still can’t roll over. Children of the same age can already sit up. My sister took her to the hospital, and the doctor said it might be cerebral palsy. My sister’s family is all healthy; why would her daughter have cerebral palsy?
Answer
Injuries during pregnancy often occur in the late stages of pregnancy, and these injuries are closely related to the onset of neonatal cerebral palsy. Additionally, traumatic pregnancies can lead to reduced placental blood flow, placental thrombosis, and premature rupture of membranes, even minor injuries can result in fetal death or preterm birth. Cardiovascular and respiratory dysfunction can cause brain ischemia in premature infants, such as patent ductus arteriosus, hypotension, pneumothorax, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and respiratory distress syndrome.