Substantial evidence has recently emerged that intrauterine
exposure to infection, particularly chorioamnionitis, in the
latter stages of pregnancy and during labour, is a strong risk
factor for cerebral palsy, particularly in term infants
. Furthermore, infants of
normal birth weight born to infected women were more
often hypotensive, needed intubation, had neonatal seizures
and a clinical diagnosis of hypoxic-ischaemic
encephalopathy. In a metaanalysis
of studies that addressed the association between
clinical and histological chorioamnionitis and cerebral
palsy or periventricular leukomalacia in both preterm and
full term infants , chorioamnionitis
was found to be a risk factor for both cerebral palsy and
periventricular leucomalacia. More information is needed
about the role of infection in the perinatal period and this is
an area of active research.