Despite the advances of medical science, many cases of cerebral palsy have unidentified causes. Baby cerebral palsy can be the result of a congenital malformation of the brain or caused by trauma experienced during the birthing process. The congenital cerebral palsy is a condition the baby has before it is born and is not necessarily related to anything such as the quality of prenatal care though studies are looking into brain damage caused during pregnancy as a result of exposure to toxic environmental factors such as alcohol or chemicals. Congenital cerebral palsy is often simply called a "birth defect". Cerebral palsy in newborns can also be caused by complications during birth that lead to brain damage. For example, an umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck or the brain is damaged as the baby is born during a natural childbirth. This is why in many legal cases, the first question to be answered is one of cause and effect.