One-third of all cases of cerebral palsy are linked to premature birth.
Mothers who go into premature labor can reduce the risk of their babies being born with cerebral palsy by ingesting Epsom salt. In a study of more than 2,000 women showing very early signs of labor, doctors gave half of them intravenous Epsom salt and the other half a placebo infusion. Those given the Epsom salt cut their babies risk for cerebral palsy by 45 percent.