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| Some forms of cerebral palsy have seem a dramatic decrease over the last few decades. Severe jaundice caused by erythroblastosis fetalis, the result of incompatibility between the Rh blood types of a mother and child, has resulted in brain damage and cerebral palsy, particularly athetoid CP. What occurs is the mother’s immune system attacks the child’s blood cells destroying their ability to process bilirubin resulting in liver overload and brain damage. The yellow pallor of the skins and eyes is caused when the ambient bilirubin dissolves in the layer of fat beneath the skin instead of being processed in the liver the excreted through the bile. Transfusions can be undertaken with the fetus to address the condition, or a large scale transfusion can be administered after birth. Normally a serum, Rh immune globulin, can be given to the mother 72 hours after childbirth that will inhibit the production of the undesirable antibodies protecting future infants. The problem only surfaces after the first pregnancy at which point the mother’s body begins to produce antibodies. Regardless, routine blood tests are administered that identify the condition with several options available for making sure the infant is brought to fruition without adverse effects. Rh incompatibility issues are particularly common in developing nations and are an area where progress can be relatively easily made lowering the levels of cerebral palsy. Parker, James N, Parker, Philip M, eds. (2002) The Official Parent’s Sourcebook on Cerebral Palsy. ICON Heath Publications |
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