Bacterial link found to cerebral palsy

MAYWOOD, Ill., Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Researchers at Loyola University in Illinois have confirmed an earlier study that a common bacteria in a woman's placenta is linked to cerebral palsy.

Dr. Robert Mittendorf, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, said if a link to coagulase-negative staphylococci can be established, doors to potential treatments could be opened.

Congenital cerebral palsy is a group of motor problems and physical disorders that result from brain injury or abnormal brain development that may occur during fetal growth or at the time of birth. Although permanent, the brain abnormality does not get worse over time.

Statistics show about 5 percent of babies weighing less than 3.5 pounds will develop cerebral palsy, with recent national figures indicating the cost of maintaining the quality of life in these patients can be as high as $20 billion annually

An estimated 6,000 new cases of cerebral palsy occur in the United States every year.