One of the most common birth-related injuries that new mothers wind up facing in their infants is cerebral palsy. This developmental condition has been documented and studied in medical literature for over 150 years, during which time the debate over the role of birth asphyxia as its cause has continued. While there have been many theories about how and why it plays a role over the years, medical science now realizes that oxygen deprivation during birth is one of several causes of cerebral palsy.