Bloomberg.com reported this week that researchers have discovered a drug commonly used to prevent premature birth may also reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in premature infants.

According to the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a review of health records more than a decade ago suggested that premature newborns whose mothers were treated with magnesium sulfate — epsom salt — were less likely to have cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscle tone and hampers movement and posture. Still, studies that followed yielded mixed results.

More than 5,000 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year, and about 30 percent of them are born prematurely. The risk is greatest in children who spent the least amount of time in the womb.

While doctors once speculated that the condition developed when infants were born with the umbilical cord wrapped around their necks, it now appears a lack of oxygen or brain injury earlier in development is more often to blame.

Cerebral palsy is often preventable and, while there is no cure, patients can lead a productive life if they get the resources and treatment they need. If your child has been diagnosed, it is in your interest to consult an experienced cerebral palsy attorney for professional insight.

A recent British study has found that the widely-used epilepsy drug Topamax® (topiramate) raises the risk of birth defects when taken by pregnant women. When combined with the drug valproate, the risk of the occurrence birth defects is even higher.

The results are still statistically uncertain because the study included only 203 women, but experts were not surprised with the findings because Topamax has been shown to cause defects in animals.

Of the 203 pregnancies in the study, 18 ended in spontaneous abortion, five in induced abortions, and two in stillbirths. Of the 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects. In three of those cases, the mothers had only taken topiramate and the other 13 involved topiramate and other drugs. Cleft palates or lips were present in four of the babies, an occurrence 11 times the normal rate of 1 in 500 among women not taking epilepsy drugs. Four male babies had genital birth defects, up 14 times the normal rate of 1 in 300.

Doctors urge epileptic women to continue taking the drug during pregnancy despite the enormous risks because of the danger of seizures on the unborn babies. Women who are taking the drug to prevent migraines should stop if they become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.

New research into strokes suffered by infants and children may lead to answers for cerebral palsy suffers.

Recent findings reveal that childhood strokes are much more common than previously assumed. In response, the American Heart Association has issued its first ever guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of strokes in young children. They do note, however, that this development is not due to an increase in childhood strokes, but rather to an increase in medical knowledge. For example, doctors now believe that cerebral palsy is a kind of stroke.

If it is, there may be hope down the line. Professor Susan Levine of the University of Chicago and Dr. Deborah Gaebler-Spira at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago have both pointed out that while a childhood stroke can be devastating, there is a better chance for recovery and brain adaptation than in adults.

The main encouragement in this research is the news that children may be able to transfer functions from the injured side of the brain to the healthy side. In fact, children retain this ability all the way up to age thirteen.

The most common birth defects associated with strokes in infants and children are sickle cell disease and heart defects.