Each year, doctors from around the country meet at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to discuss developments and struggles facing the field. This year, one speaker, who works with the Perinatal Research Branch of the National Institutes of Health, told the audience about advancements being made that could provide doctors with a way to prevent cerebral palsy.

Preventing cerebral palsy goes hand-in-hand with preventing preterm births, the speaker said, as preterm births can cause the birth injury. Currently, 12 percent of births in the United States are preterm overall and the number jumps to 20 percent in underserved communities, the speaker said.

The speaker said that preterm birth occurs for a variety of reasons and no single test, treatment or prevention strategy can completely put an end to the occurrence. However, he said that both a short cervix and a progesterone deficiency can greatly increase the chances of preterm birth.

In fact, a cervix that is less than 15 mm in length increases the risk for preterm birth by 50 percent and progesterone deficiency is common in patients who both experience a preterm birth and have a short cervix, the speaker said. But he said the good news is that these two factors are related and can be treated.

Another speaker, who is the ACOG's Scientific Program Committee Chair, said that "[v]aginal progesterone gel will absolutely be used in clinical practice in women with short cervix," helping "one of our biggest challenges in obstetrics - the high rate of premature delivery."

In addition, the first speaker said that there is currently revolutionary technology being studied that aims to reduce the occurrence of fetal infection, which can also lead to cerebral palsy.

While this is good news, it's also important to remember that these are not the only ways that cerebral palsy can occur. In fact, one common trigger is medical malpractice on behalf of the hospital staff, as the birth defect can result from lack of oxygen to the baby's brain before, during, or immediately after delivery.

Source: Medscape Today, "Preterm Birth, Complications Related to Cerebral Palsy Reduced," Alice Goodman, 5/3/2011.