Hmmmm . . . isn't that convenient for the ob/gyns? Only two cases I
have seen were two breech boys born in hosp---one cesarean and one with
Piper forceps applied to after coming head. Gloria
leanne wynne wrote:
Hi All,
Here is more evidence that cerebral palsy is not caused by a difficult
birth but by a viral infection earlier in the pregnancy.
Fetal Exposure to Neurotropic Viruses Linked to Cerebral Palsy
Reuters Health Information 2006. © 2006 Reuters Ltd.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by
framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors
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thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks
and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 05 - The presence of nucleic acids from
neurotropic viruses in the blood of newborns is associated with
cerebral palsy and preterm birth, Australian investigators report.
Intrauterine exposure to viruses is postulated to be an important
factor in the development of cerebral palsy, mediated either by direct
infection or fetal inflammatory response, Dr. Catherine S. Gibson, at
the University of Adelaide, and her associates in the South Australian
Cerebral Palsy Research Group note.
Subjects of their study, reported this week in BMJ Online First,
included all children with cerebral palsy born between 1986 and 1999
in South Australia to white mothers and 883 randomly selected control
infants.
Blood samples taken at birth from the infants were tested for herpes
simplex virus (HSV)-1, HSV-2, varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr
virus, cytomegalovirus, human herpes viruses (HHV)-6, HHV-7, and
HHV-8, and members of the Enterovirus family.
In the control group, CMV was the most prevalent virus (26.7%). Some
of those infected with CMV were also positive for herpes group B
(3.1%) and herpes group A viruses (1.1%).
Dr. Gibson's group observed that CMV was significantly more prevalent
in the 247 control infants born before 37 weeks' gestation than in the
term infants (odds ratio 1.57, p < 0.01). The same trend was observed
for the presence of any herpes virus (odds ratio 1.43).
They also found a significant association between any viral exposure
and cerebral palsy at all gestational ages compared with control
subjects (odds ratio 1.30). The relationship was most marked for
detection of herpes group B (odds ratio 1.68).
Based on these findings, the authors suggest that "exposure late in
gestation may not result in preterm birth, instead having direct
effects on the brain, whereas exposure early in gestation may result
in preterm birth but increase the risk of neuropathology associated
with prematurity."
The high prevalence of exposure to viral infection in the control
infants suggests that cofactors may be required before brain damage
occurs, they add, such as genetic susceptibility to infection or
disruption of the placental or blood-brain barrier.
BMJ Online First 2006.
Leanne Wynne
Midwife in charge of "Women's Business"
Mildura Aboriginal Health Service Mob 0418 371862
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