Cerebral palsy risk may increase for babies whose mums were injured during pregnancy

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-11-29 03:00

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Mothers suffering an injury during pregnancy could mean a higher risk of babies developing cerebral palsy, according to international research, which found severe injuries that resulted in hospitalisation, and delivery within 1 week of the injury, gave the highest risk of cerebral palsy. The authors say that public health professionals and stakeholders should be aware of these potential long-term consequences on offspring when designing programs and providing recommendations about safety during pregnancy. Early monitoring and developmental assessment of children exposed to maternal injury might be warranted, they say.