Can cerebral palsy be prevented?

Sometimes. It depends on the precise situation and the way it occurred. The risk of cerebral palsy can be reduced, but not every cause of the disorder is known, which means the disorder cannot always be prevented. Known risks include birth injuries, some types of infections in a baby’s mother (including rubella and toxoplasmosis), severe jaundice, and blood problems such as Rh incompatibility or coagulation disorders. Healthcare providers try to minimize those sorts of risks in order to minimize the chance that a baby will suffer brain damage associated with cerebral palsy.