A high frequency of speech defects was observed in our series. In cases of cerebral palsy, speech defects are multifactorial in origin, for example, impaired hearing, cortical damage, and incoordination or paresis of the muscles of tongue, lips, larynx and respiratory tract. Various predisposing factors causing damage to the developing brain may lead to clinical picture of cerebral palsy and may act prenatally, natally or postnatally. The well recognized familial forms of cerebral palsy are familial spastic paraplegia, familial athetosis and familial paroxysmal choreothetosis. Several mechanisms could be responsible for a high incidence of cerebral palsy in children who were born premature.
Premature neonates are more likely to suffer from birth asphyxia and injuries.
A higher incidence of breech delivery, cord prolapse and precipitate labour in preterm delivery could expose the neonates to an additional risk of mechanical and asphyxial injuries. In breech delivery, blood is squeezed from body towards the head so that the head enters the birth canal in extremely congested form. These congested vessels readily rupture. Also the umbilical cord is pressed when the head passes through the birth canal thus reducing the blood flow to the brain. Forceps application is known to cause cerebral contusion which may lead to cerebral anoxia.