OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between the obstetric management of fetal distress and cerebral palsy. METHODS: The obstetric details of all 78 children with cerebral palsy born in a geographically defined area between 1975-1980 were compared with those of 591 control children. RESULTS: Fetal distress was identified more frequently in children with cerebral palsy who were born at term (24%) than among controls (11%). There was an inappropriate response to fetal distress in 12% of children with cerebral palsy but in only 3% of controls. CONCLUSIONS: If fetal distress in some way causes subsequent cerebral palsy, then the data in this study suggest that its complete elimination might be expected to reduce the birth prevalence of cerebral palsy by 15.6%. "Perfect" obstetric management of fetal distress might reduce the birth prevalence of cerebral palsy by 9% in term infants or 6% overall.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between the obstetric management of fetal distress and cerebral palsy. METHODS: The obstetric details of all 78 children with cerebral palsy born in a geographically defined area between 1975-1980 were compared with those of 591 control children. RESULTS: Fetal distress was identified more frequently in children with cerebral palsy who were born at term (24%) than among controls (11%). There was an inappropriate response to fetal distress in 12% of children with cerebral palsy but in only 3% of controls. CONCLUSIONS: If fetal distress in some way causes subsequent cerebral palsy, then the data in this study suggest that its complete elimination might be expected to reduce the birth prevalence of cerebral palsy by 15.6%. "Perfect" obstetric management of fetal distress might reduce the birth prevalence of cerebral palsy by 9% in term infants or 6% overall.