Causes

Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. This usually happens before a child is born, but it can occur at birth or in early infancy. In many cases, the cause isn't known. Many factors can lead to problems with brain development. Some include:

• Gene mutations that result in genetic disorders or differences in brain development
• Maternal infections that affect the developing fetus
• Fetal stroke, a disruption of blood supply to the developing brain
• Bleeding into the brain in the womb or as a newborn
• Infant infections that cause inflammation in or around the brain
• Traumatic head injury to an infant, such as from a motor vehicle accident, fall or physical abuse
• Lack of oxygen to the brain related to difficult labor or delivery, although birth-related asphyxia is much less commonly a cause than historically thought