Study on the Clinical Profile of Patients with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Cerebral Palsy (CP) has emerged as one of the major causes of chronic childhood disability. A cross sectional study was conducted in Inpatient and Out Patient Department of Pediatrics in GMCH, Composite Regional Centre (CRC), and also from SishuSarothi, Spastics society of Assam for a period of 1 year from July 2014 to June 2015. The aims and objectives of the study were tostudy the clinical pattern and etiological factors of Cerebral Palsy and to determine the prevalence of associated disabilities or handicaps in Cerebral Palsy.Our study population included one hundred cases of diagnosed Cerebral Palsy cases upto 12 years of age. Classification was done using modified Minear classification. Simple statistical analysis was used for percentage calculation.Spastic type was the predominant (80%),with quadriplegic subtype being the most common (43%). The other types were mixed type (8%), hypotonic (7%) and athetoid (5%) being the least. Speech delay was the most common associated problem (76 %) followed by microcephaly (56%), seizures (48%), visual defects (23%), feeding difficulty (21%), hearing problems (18%), contractures and deformities (9%) and behavioural problems (7%) being the least. The most common etiologic risk factors were maternal age <20 years and >35 years and pregnancy induced hypertension in prenatal period; asphyxia, low birth weight and prematurity in perinatal period; and central nervous system infections and hyperbilirubinemiain the postnatal period.The clinical spectrum of CP in our country may differ from that reported from the western countries. Perinatal factors were leading risk factors in CP etiology in this study. Timely diagnosis and initiation of appropriate rehabilitation programmes should be ensured.