Low Apgars and Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy, a non-progressive neurological condition which affects almost 800,000 Americans, limits a person's ability to control muscles and mobility. While there are many possible causes, an international medical study, published last year in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), links low Apgar scores with cerebral palsy birth injury.

Other than the many uncertainties with pregnancy, labor is possibly the most exciting and frightening time for parents. Most labors go smoothly with the help of well trained doctors and well prepared mothers and fathers; however, sometimes, complications arise. Mothers may get hypertension, gestational diabetes, or suffer from other serious conditions, such as infections. Babies, still nestled in the womb, may go into distress and delivery may need to be rushed.

When babies are delivered, medical professionals use several methods for assessing a baby's health. One of the simplest and most common is the Apgar score. Doctors evaluating an infant's pulse, stimuli response, muscle tone, complexion, and breathing. These five factors comprise the five part Apgar score. Ranging from 0-2 for each factor, doctors can determine whether a newborn needs assistance adjusting to the extra-uterine world.

Low Apgar scores can mean that a baby has a low or weak pulse, breathing difficulties, loose muscle tone, and/or bluish skin tone. In the face of low scores, doctors aid the newborns and reassess.

In the BMJ study, researchers reviewed Norway's Medical Birth Registry records for the years 1986 and 1995. Evidence revealed that 1.8 in 1000 children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy before age 5 and that over a tenth of these children had extremely low Apgar scores shortly after birth. The study concluded that cerebral palsy causes were linked to factors that reduce infant vitality.

Other studies support the Norway Birth Record findings. In 2007, the Archives of Disease in Children's Fetal and Neonatal Edition reported that low Apgars were associated with increased risk for lower cognitive functioning. This same study also found a strong association between severely low Apgar scores and risks of cerebral palsy.

While cerebral palsy may be considered rare, it is a condition which far reaching impacts the lives of affected children and their families. It is not a curable condition. Children with milder forms of the condition may require physical and occupational therapy and those with more severe cases may require 24 hour supervision and special educational services.

In order to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy, medical professionals may need to be more proactive with monitoring expectant mothers to reduce risks for brain injuries to neonates. Prospective parents should also monitor their own health and be aware of the risks. In either case, prenatal care for mothers and pediatric care for children are a must to ensure healthy development.