Health Research

December 11, 2008

Study: Premature Babies More Likely to Have Cerebral Palsy

Babies born a few weeks prematurely are more than three times as likely to have cerebral palsy than full-term infants, according to a study co-authored by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

The study was published in the December edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.

The study found that late preterm infants (those born 34-36 weeks gestation) had a higher risk of developmental delays than babies born full-term. Researchers from the March of Dimes, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Columbia University and Harvard School of Public Health examined records of 140,000 children born within Kaiser Permanente in California from 2000 – 2004 and concluded that infants born between 30 and 33 weeks gestation were nearly eight times as likely as full-term infants to have cerebral palsy.

The link has been well-documented in early preterm infants; this new research confirms that those born just four to six weeks premature also are at risk.

Cerebral palsy is a group of problems that affects body movement and posture. It is related to a brain injury or to problems with brain growth. It causes reflex movements that a person can't control and muscle tightness that may affect parts or all of the body.

"Since brain development continues through the first year, these findings suggest that some late preterm infants may benefit from formal neurological evaluation to determine whether there is a need for specialized services," said Gabriel Escobar, MD, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. and a co-author of the study. "Future research should focus on how at-risk late preterm infants can be identified sooner, as comprehensive neurological evaluation of all late preterm infants is not feasible."

For more information, read the full study in the Journal of Pediatrics.