Cerebral palsy in southern Sweden I. Prevalence and clinical features

The prevalence, clinical features and gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy in southern Sweden were investigated. The study covered the birth year period 1990-1993, during which 65,514 livebirths were recorded in the area. On the census date (1 January 1998), 68366 children born in 1990-1993 lived in the area. The study comprised 167 children, 145 of them born in Sweden and 22 born abroad. The livebirth prevalence was 2.2 per 1,000, and the prevalence including children born abroad was 2.4 per 1,000. The distribution according to gestational age, birthweight and subdiagnoses was similar to that in earlier Swedish studies, except for a higher rate of dyskinetic syndromes in this study.

The point prevalence of cerebral palsy was 2.4 and the livebirth prevalence was 2.2. Children born abroad had a higher prevalence and were more often severely disabled. Severe disability was often combined with associated impairments such as mental retardation, epilepsy and visual impairment.