BMJ  2006;332 (14 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7533.0-b

Neurotropic viruses are associated with cerebral palsy

Perinatal exposure to neurotropic viruses is associated with a higher risk of cerebral palsy. In a laboratory based case-control study using dried blood from the newborn screening cards of 443 children with cerebral palsy and 883 controls, Gibson and colleagues (p 76) tested for viral nucleic acids from enteroviruses and herpesviruses and found a prevalence of herpes B group viruses of 12.1% for cerebral palsy cases and 7.6% for controls. The high prevalence of viral nucleic acids in the control group (39.8%) suggests that triggers are needed before brain damage can occur, say the authors.

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Neurotropic viruses and cerebral palsy: population based case-control study

Catherine S Gibson, Alastair H MacLennan, Paul N Goldwater, Eric A Haan, Kevin Priest, Gustaaf A Dekker South Australian Cerebral Palsy Research Group
BMJ 2006 332: 76-80. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]