Question
What causes pediatric cerebral palsy?
Answer
Research indicates that the causes of pediatric cerebral palsy can be summarized into several points: parental smoking, drug or substance abuse, mental illness in the mother, and conditions such as gestational diabetes, vaginal bleeding, and preeclampsia. Other factors include placenta previa, threatened miscarriage, or the use of contraceptives for infertility treatment, as well as medications for maintaining pregnancy. Additionally, high-frequency childbirth, preterm birth or miscarriage history, twins or multiples, may increase the risk of pediatric cerebral palsy. During fetal development, intrauterine infection, distress, poor placental function, and premature detachment may also lead to pediatric cerebral palsy. During the birthing process, prolonged labor due to forceps delivery or breech delivery, as well as premature infants, post-term infants, and low-birth-weight infants, may increase the risk of pediatric cerebral palsy. Furthermore, newborn respiratory distress, aspiration pneumonia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, kernicterus, intracranial hemorrhage, infection, poisoning, and malnutrition are also potential causes of pediatric cerebral palsy.