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Prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics of infantile cerebral palsy

Abstract:

Cerebral palsy is the most frequent cause of motor disability during childhood; it includes a non-progressive heterogeneous pathology with abnormal movements or posture that limits performance of the daily activities of patients associated with sensory, perceptual, cognitive, communicational or behavioral disorders, epilepsy or other secondary musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of cerebral palsy in childhood has remained stable in the last 10 years, affecting 2.1 children per 1.000 live births with similar data in Europe, the United States, Australia or Asia. This disease can be classi-fied according to the predominant motor alteration in: (i) spastic (bilateral or unilateral); (ii) dyskinetic (dystonic or choreo-athetosis); (iii) ataxic; and (iv) not classifiable. The risk factors that are related to cerebral palsy can be divided into prenatal, perinatal and postnatal, the main being prematurity, but also influencing congenital malformations, intrauterine infections, obstetric morbidity, and central nervous system infections or trauma postnatal period. The clinical manifestation suggests that the syndrome is delay of psychomotor development between 12-18 months; the predominant motor alteration will depend on the neurological substrate affected, while cognitive deficits, epilepsy, visual, auditory, and musculoskeletal disorders may occur. The assessment through the scales of classification of gross motor function, manipulation of objects, communication or eat and drinking determines the severity, guide the clinical management and allow monitoring so its use is recommended. The treatment is multidisciplinary with the aim of achieving the highest degree of functional independence of the patient, so it is important to prevent risk factors and perinatal asphyxiation.