title: Risk factors for cerebral palsy in children born at term.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide an overview of current research on risk factors for cerebral palsy (CP) in children born at term and hypothesize how new findings can affect the content of the CP registers worldwide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search in PubMed for original articles, published from 2000 to 2010, regarding risk factors for CP in children born at term was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full text review was made of 266 articles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Factors from the prenatal, perinatal and neonatal period considered as possible contributors to the causal pathway to CP in children born at term were regarded as risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two articles met the criteria for an original report on risk factors for CP in children born at term. Perinatal adverse events, including stroke, were the focus of most publications, followed by genetic studies. Malformations, infections, perinatal adverse events and multiple gestation were risk factors associated with CP. The evidence regarding, for example, thrombophilic factors and non-CNS abnormalities was inconsistent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information on maternal and neonatal infections, umbilical cord blood gases at birth, mode of delivery and placental status should be collected in a standardized way in CP registers. Information on social factors, such as education level, family income and area of residence, is also of importance. More research is needed to understand the risk factors of CP and specifically how they relate to causal pathways of cerebral palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. kate.himmelmann@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Himmelmann
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahlin
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jacobsson
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cans
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thorsen
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D047929:Term Birth