Evaluation of risk factors for cerebral palsy

Abstract

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) has been identified as one of the most important and common causes of childhood disabilities worldwide and is often accompanied by multiple comorbidities. CP is defined as a group of disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The objective of our study was to describe main clinical pattern and motor impairments of our patients, and to evaluate the presence of risk factors and if there is a relation to the type of cerebral palsy. Methods Children with cerebral palsy were retrospectively enrolled over 2 years from the neurology outpatient clinics. Cerebral palsy risk factors and motor impairments were determined through caregiver interviews, review of medical records, and direct physical examination. Results One thousand children with cerebral palsy were enrolled. Subjects were 64.4% male, with a median age of 2.5 years. The risk factors for cerebral palsy in our study were antenatal (21%), natal and post-natal (30.5%), post-neonatal (17.1%), and unidentified (31.4%). Antenatal as CNS malformation (26.6%), maternal DM (17.6%), prolonged rupture of membrane (11.9%), maternal hemorrhage (10.4%), and pre-eclampsia (4.7%). Natal and post-natal as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (28.5%), infection (16.3%), hyperbilirubinemia (12.7%), cerebrovascular accidents (8.8%), meconium aspiration (6.2%), and intracranial hemorrhage. Post-neonatal as CNS infection (34.5%), cerebrovascular accidents (28.6%), sepsis (23.9%), and intracranial hemorrhage (8.7%). Conclusions Cerebral palsy has different etiologies and risk factors. Further studies are necessary to determine optimal preventative strategies in these patients.

A Review on Recent Advances of Cerebral Palsy

“…According to this study, preconception is defined as the health conditions of the mother before conception, prenatal is defined as the period of gestation, perinatal is during delivery, and postnatal is after delivery [ 2 ]. A study in 2021 also found that the risk factors for cerebral palsy were 21%, 30.5%, 17.1%, and 31.4% when grouped under prenatal, perinatal, postnatal, and unidentified categories [ 9 ]. Preconception risk factors include the mother's systemic illness, substance abuse, maternal undernutrition, swallowing harmful substances, fertility issues, and previous spontaneous termination of pregnancy [ 7 ].…”

Can Fetal Heart Lie? Intrapartum CTG Changes in COVID-19 Mothers

“…This implies that infection can exert direct neurological injury by decreasing the threshold of neonatal apoptosis induced by hypoxia or indirectly by a non-hypoxia pathway. Fetal inflammatory process and hypoxia seem to work synergistically, resulting in abnormal rapid fetal tracing [ 27 , 28 ].…”

The Relationship of Gastrointestinal Disorders to Malnutrition in Children with Cerebral Palsy in the WKCP Community (Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy) Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…In conditions during and after birth, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (28.5%), infections, especially of the nervous system (16.3%), hyperbilirubinemia (12.7%), cerebrovascular disorders (8.8%), meconium aspiration (6.2%), and intracranial hemorrhage (8.7%) contributed to the incidence of cerebral palsy in children. 3 Impaired motor function is the main symptom of cerebral palsy, followed by other symptoms such as sensory, cognitive, communication, behavioral disturbances, epilepsy, and disorders of the muscles and bones. 4 The nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy is a very serious problem that needs to be treated early.…”