Neonatal stroke can cause cerebral palsy in some babies, but it does not always lead to this condition. It depends on factors like the stroke’s location, size, and how quickly doctors treat it.
A neonatal stroke happens when blood flow to a newborn baby’s brain gets blocked or a blood vessel bursts. This cuts off oxygen and nutrients to parts of the brain. There are two main types. Arterial ischemic stroke occurs when a clot blocks an artery. Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, or CSVT, happens when a clot forms in the brain’s veins. These strokes make up 10 to 15 percent of brain injuries in full-term infants.
Babies with neonatal stroke often show signs soon after birth. Seizures are common in the first few days. Some have weakness on one side of the body. Others seem fine at first but later have delays in movement or milestones. These delays can signal cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affect muscle control and movement due to brain damage early in life.
Not every neonatal stroke results in cerebral palsy. Studies show varied outcomes. For example, in one group of 31 newborns with CSVT linked to kidney issues, all survived, but 32 percent had lasting brain problems at discharge that continued at two years. Complete reopening of blocked vessels happened in all treated babies, but treatment did not guarantee better movement outcomes. Risk factors like dehydration raised the chance of stroke and related issues.
Other brain events around birth also link to cerebral palsy. Lack of oxygen, known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, often leads to it. Preterm babies face higher risks from bleeds or infections. Neonatal strokes share these pathways, damaging developing brain areas that control movement.
Doctors diagnose strokes with brain scans like MRI. Early spotting helps. Treatment might include blood thinners for clots. Cooling the body can aid some brain injuries. Follow-up checks track development to catch cerebral palsy early.
Genetics and inflammation play roles too. Certain gene changes may worsen damage after strokes or oxygen loss. Proteins involved in clotting can enter the brain during bleeds and block normal growth, raising cerebral palsy risk.
Outcomes improve with better newborn care. More preterm babies survive, and some develop cerebral palsy that doctors now spot sooner. Close monitoring of at-risk infants helps.
Sources
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/stroke/articles/10.3389/fstro.2025.1692460/full
https://childrenscerebralpalsy.com/news/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12731818/
https://nybirthinjury.com/birth-injuries/brain-injuries/
https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/targeting-a-clotting-protein-to-treat-neonatal-brain-bleeds-16169
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12750369/
