Cerebral Palsy in North Indian Children: Clinico-etiological Profile and Comorbidities

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common motor disability in children. This study aimed at elaborating various comorbidities and etiologies and also at correlating motor disability with other disabilities.

This hospital-based study was conducted in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Delhi on 160 children with CP in the age group 2-15 years. A detailed history taking and examination were conducted for each patient and appropriate investigations were performed.

Most patients, that is 64.4%, were younger than 5 years of age and 72.5% were males. Most common etiology was birth asphyxia (41.9%). Maximum patients were of bilateral spastic (spastic quadriplegic) CP accounting 43.1%. Intellectual disability was the most common comorbidity across all subtypes of CP followed by epilepsy. Comorbidities such as epilepsy and all visual problems except optic atrophy were more common in spastic quadriplegic CP. Hearing, speech impairment, and optic atrophy were more common in dyskinetic CP. Chewing, swallowing, and drooling problems were more common in spastic quadriplegic CP.

Most common risk factor of CP is birth asphyxia; thus, by improving health care facilities, its incidence can be reduced. CP affects not only motor functions but also other important functions of body as well, and the more severe the motor disabilities, the more are other comorbidities and their intensity also increases with that of the intensity of brain insult.