Frequency of Etiologies Responsible for Cerebral Palsy in Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i4.2850Keywords:
Birth Asphyxia, Cerebral Palsy, Children, Etiology, Prematurity. Correspondence to: Fakhta HafeezAbstract
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common chronic motor disability in children, resulting from non-progressive damage to the developing brain. Identifying etiological factors is essential to guide preventive strategies, improve neonatal care, and reduce long-term morbidity. Objective: To determine the frequency of etiologies responsible for cerebral palsy in children. Study Design & Setting: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Pediatric Medicine, Children’s Hospital, Multan from 20-01-2024 to 20-01-2025. Methodology: A total of 149 children aged 2–12 years, diagnosed with CP as per operational definitions, were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. Children with neuropathies, myopathies, metabolic disorders, or neurodegenerative diseases were excluded. Baseline demographics were recorded, and all patients underwent detailed clinical examination to classify the type of CP. Etiologies were identified through history, past medical records, and relevant investigations. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables, while age was presented as mean ± SD. Stratification was performed for age, gender, and type of CP, with chi-square test applied; a p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age was 7.8 ± 3.6 years, with males comprising 57.7% of cases. Spastic quadriplegia was the most common type of CP (34.9%), followed by spastic diplegia (24.8%) and spastic hemiplegia (18.8%). Birth asphyxia was the leading etiology (40.9%), followed by prematurity (22.1%), neonatal jaundice (14.1%), CNS infection (9.4%), and genetic/metabolic causes (6.7%). Stratification showed significant associations between etiologies and age (p = 0.074), gender (p = 0.039), residence (p = 0.044), and type of CP (p = 0.033). Conclusion: Birth asphyxia and prematurity were the most frequent etiologies of CP, highlighting the importance of improving perinatal and neonatal care in reducing the burden of cerebral palsy.
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