Family patterns of gestational age at delivery and growth in utero in moderate and severe cerebral palsy.

The relation of familial factors to the aetiology of cerebral palsy was assessed in a case-control study of all moderate and severe cases born in Western Australia between 1980 and 1986. The data did not suggest recurrence of cerebral palsy, congenital malformations or reproductive loss in cerebral palsy families. Preterm and small-for-gestational-age birth recurred within both case and control families. Cases and controls did not differ significantly from their siblings in measures of intra-uterine growth, but (with the exception of controls unmatched for both birthweight and gestational age) were born significantly earlier than their siblings. A family history of preterm or small-for-gestational-age birth was found to affect the risk of cerebral palsy by influencing the risk of preterm birth or growth retardation in the index pregnancy.