Babies who are premature carry a much greater risk of developing cerebral palsy that babies who are born at term. Between 5 and 8 percent of babies who weigh less than three pounds at birth will develop cerebral palsy. In addition, babies who weigh less than three pounds are 25 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than babies who weigh six pounds at birth.

There are several reasons why premature infants have an increased risk of cerebral palsy:

• Babies who are premature have underdeveloped lungs, which can result in insufficient oxygen to the brain. If the lack of oxygen is enough to cause brain damage to the area that controls motor function, the result is cerebral palsy.

• Premature, low birth weight babies are more likely to suffer from bleeding in the brain, also called intraventricular hemorrhages and intracranial hemorrhages. This bleeding in the brain can impact the part of the brain that controls motor function, resulting in cerebral palsy.

While in some cases premature birth can’t be attributed to a particular cause, in other cases maternal issues cause an increased risk for premature birth. Diabetes, high blood pressure, clotting disorders, infections, and other maternal complications can cause a baby to be born before term. However, with careful maternal care and testing most of these complications can be avoided, and those that can’t be avoided can be treated. When maternal issues are caught and treated in a timely manner, the chances of a premature birth are significantly reduced.