Can a Perinatal Stroke Cause Cerebral Palsy?
Perinatal stroke is a stroke that happens between late pregnancy and the first weeks after birth, when a baby’s brain is still developing. It can be hard to spot in newborns, and many families only discover it later, after seizures in the first days of life or when movement differences show up months later.
Perinatal stroke is also one of the most common causes of one-sided or hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Quick Answer: Can a Perinatal Stroke Cause Cerebral Palsy?
Yes. A stroke can injure the parts of a baby’s brain that control movement. That injury may later look like cerebral palsy, often showing up as weakness, stiffness, or poor coordination on one side of the body.
What Is a Perinatal Stroke?
Perinatal stroke is a type of stroke that occurs in a baby from late pregnancy through the first 28 days of life due to a disruption of blood flow to the brain.
Perinatal strokes can be ischemic (blocked blood vessel) or hemorrhagic (bleeding). Both types can injure developing brain tissue and cause permanent neurological effects.
How Common Is Perinatal Stroke?
The American Stroke Association estimates that perinatal stroke occurs in about 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 3,000 births. Some children who suffer from stroke may have higher risks of lasting neurological effects such as one-sided weakness, seizures, or learning differences, while others may have milder symptoms.
What Are the Types of Perinatal Stroke?
Doctors group perinatal stroke into a few subtypes since the symptoms, timing, and risk can differ. Some doctors also use the term "neonatal stroke" depending on timing and imaging.
You may hear them refer to each type as:
- Neonatal arterial ischemic stroke (NAIS): A blocked artery that causes reduced blood flow to part of the brain. Symptoms may include seizures, weakness on one side of the body, or reduced movement.
- Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT): A clot that affects the veins that drain blood from the brain. Symptoms may include seizures, lethargy, poor feeding, or signs of increased intracranial pressure.
- Neonatal hemorrhagic stroke: Bleeding that occurs in the brain or its surrounding structures. Symptoms can include seizures, decreased alertness, apnea, or sudden neurological deterioration.
What Are the Symptoms of Perinatal Stroke?
Signs of perinatal stroke are often missed by parents when a baby is in the womb or even right after birth. Symptoms in newborns can be subtle and hard to spot. Doctors often catch strokes when seizures happen early or when a baby seems unusually sleepy or hard to feed.
Some symptoms in newborns and toddlers include:
Symptoms in Newborns
Symptoms During Infancy and Toddlerhood
- One side of the body looks weaker, tighter, or less coordinated
- Delayed crawling/walking or uneven crawling patterns
- Trouble playing with both hands (one hand avoids opening or reaching)
- Toe-walking or dragging one leg while walking
- Speech and/or language delays
- Seizures or epilepsy in some children
What Causes Perinatal Stroke?
There is no single cause of perinatal stroke, as it can involve risks such as infections (like meningitis), blood clotting, placenta issues, congenital heart disease, birth injuries, or newborn medical conditions.
In order to determine what may have caused perinatal stroke, doctors will typically review:
- Pregnancy or placental complications
- Maternal or newborn infections
- Congenital heart issues
- Dehydration or blood clotting-related factors
- Family or genetic history
Can Perinatal Stroke Cause Cerebral Palsy?
Yes. When perinatal stroke injures motor pathways in the brain it can cause cerebral palsy, specifically hemiplegic cerebral palsy, where one side of the body is more affected than the other.
Perinatal stroke often shows up later as:
- Stiffness or weakness on one side of the body
- Favoring one side or hand earlier than expected
- One-sided coordination challenges
- Uneven motor milestone development
Note: Not every child with perinatal stroke will necessarily develop cerebral palsy, but it is one of the most common outcomes. With the right treatment and support, many children who experienced perinatal stroke go on to live normal and healthy lives.
Can a Child Recover From a Perinatal Stroke?
Yes, but recovery after perinatal stroke varies. Some children have one-sided weakness and adapt well, while others need ongoing therapies for mobility, hand function, speech, and managing seizures.
Some children make remarkable progress and function very independently. Others will always have some motor differences, especially fine motor control in the hands or with ankle/foot mechanics.
What Is the Life Expectancy After a Perinatal Stroke?
Most children with perinatal stroke live into adulthood. Long-term outcomes depend more on whether a child experiences other conditions like epilepsy or feeding and swallowing problems or if they have any severe mobility limitations.
Will My Child Have Another Stroke?
If your child has experienced a stroke, you may be concerned if it might happen again. Studies show that recurrence risk is overall low, but it depends on the type of stroke and whether a treatable cause is found (for example, certain heart or clotting conditions).
Depending on your child's condition, your child's care team may recommend targeted testing to determine specific risks. Most families are reassured that repeat strokes are uncommon.
Will My Child Have Seizures?
Seizures are one of the most common ways perinatal stroke is discovered, especially when a newborn has seizures in the first days of life. The risk depends on which area of the brain the stroke occurred, how large it was, and how the brain heals over time.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Perinatal Stroke?
Perinatal stroke usually is not identified by just one symptom. Doctors will typically run tests and evaluations to diagnose perinatal stroke based on history, movement, muscle tone, and imaging results.
Diagnosis usually includes:
- Neurological exam: Checking tone, reflexes, symmetry, posture, and coordination
- Developmental assessment: Milestones and how movements look over time
- Imaging (such as MRI): Used to identify old injury patterns that appear as stroke
- Seizure evaluation: Electroencephalogram (EEG) records the brain's electrical activity to scan for epilepsy-related conditions
- Clotting or cardiac evaluation when needed in specific cases
How Is Perinatal Stroke Treated?
- Physical therapy: Helps improve strength, gait, posture, balance, and mobility
- Occupational therapy: Increases hand use, two-handed skills, and daily tasks
- Speech therapy: Helps with communication and/or feeding support
- Medications: Such as anticonvulsants for seizure management if epilepsy is an issue
- Orthotics or mobility aids: Stabilizes foot/ankle alignment or supports balance
What Should I Do If I Think My Child Had a Stroke?
If you think your child has suffered from a stroke, you don't need to diagnose this yourself. However, there are a few things you can do at home to help make evaluation easier for your pediatrician, such as:
- Recording short 30-60 second videos of your child's movement while they play. Your pediatrician can observe if they are reaching with both hands, crawling, standing, or walking, as asymmetry is easier to evaluate on video.
- Asking about potential referrals to a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician. If needed, physical and occupational therapy may also be recommended if there are any motor delays.
- Tracking your child's developmental milestones and their symmetry for 1-2 weeks. Check whether they can roll both ways, use both hands, kick evenly, and maintain an even posture.
- Call your pediatrician: Describe the patterns you see, such as one-sided stiffness or weakness, early hand preference, persistently clenched fists, or uneven crawling.
Note: Always go to the ER or call emergency services if your child is showing signs of new sudden weakness, repeated seizure-like activity, severe lethargy, or breathing problems.
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Written and Medically Reviewed by:
Cerebral Palsy Hub Team
Cerebral Palsy Hub was founded to help support children and their families with cerebral palsy and to create a safe space for those affected. We strive to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information, and tools to help give your child the life they deserve.
Last Updated: March 3, 2026
