Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy
Published on: November 3, 2016
Asphyxia-related risk factors and their timing in spastic cerebral palsy
L F Nielsen1, D Schendel, J Grove
1NANEA, Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. leni@soci.au.dk
Insights
Asphyxia-related conditions like placental infarction and cord complications increase the risk of spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Specific factors, such as placental infarction combined with being small for gestational age (SGA), significantly elevate the risk for spastic quadriplegia.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture.
- Asphyxia-related conditions, involving reduced fetal blood flow or oxygen, are suspected contributors to CP.
- Understanding the specific timing and nature of these conditions is crucial for prevention and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between asphyxia-related conditions and spastic CP.
- To analyze these associations across different gestational age groups.
- To determine the impact of the timing of risk factors on spastic CP development.
Main Methods:
- Population-based case-control study design.
- Utilized data from the Danish Cerebral Palsy Register and Danish Medical Birth Register.
- Analyzed 271 singletons with spastic CP and 217 controls, frequency-matched by gestational age.
Main Results:
- Placental and cord complications were the primary asphyxia conditions identified.
- Placental infarction showed a four-fold increased risk for spastic quadriplegia.
- Cord around the neck was associated with a three-fold increased risk for overall spastic CP.
- The combination of placental infarction and being small for gestational age (SGA) significantly heightened the risk for spastic quadriplegia.
Conclusions:
- Placental infarction's risk for spastic quadriplegia may be linked to abnormal fetal growth (SGA).
- Cord complications, like nuchal cords, present a risk for spastic CP independent of other examined factors.
- Analyzing risk factors by their relative timing offers a valuable framework for CP etiology research.
Objective:
To investigate the association of asphyxia-related conditions (reducing blood flow or blood oxygen levels in the fetus) with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) considering different gestational age groups and the timing of risk.
Design:
Population-based case-control study.
Setting:
Danish Cerebral Palsy Register in eastern Denmark and Danish Medical Birth Register.
Population Or Sample:
271 singletons with spastic CP and 217 singleton controls, frequency matched by gestational age group, born 1982-1990 in eastern Denmark.
Methods:
Data were abstracted from medical records, and a priori asphyxia-related conditions and other risk factors were selected for analysis. Each factor was classified according to the time at which it was likely to first be present.
Main Outcome Measures:
Spastic CP.
Results:
Placental and cord complications accounted for the majority of asphyxia conditions. In multivariate analysis, placental infarction was significantly associated with a four-fold increased risk for spastic quadriplegia and cord around the neck was significantly associated with a three-fold increased risk for spastic CP overall. The combination of placental infarction and being small for gestational age (SGA) afforded an especially high risk for spastic quadriplegia. Placental and cord complications were present in 21% of cases and 12% of controls.
Conclusions:
The risk for spastic quadriplegia from placental infarction may be linked in some cases with abnormal fetal growth (17% of all children with spastic quadriplegia and 3% of control children both had an infarction and were SGA) -- suggesting an aetiologic pathway that encompasses both factors. The risk for spastic CP from cord around the neck is not accounted for by other prepartum or intrapartum factors we examined. Considering the relative timing of risk factors provides a useful framework for studies of CP aetiology.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Acute Respiratory Failure-IV
01:25Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
01:30Acute Respiratory Failure-III
01:24Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
01:21Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...