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Published on: February 2, 2024
Risk factors for cerebral palsy in children in Taiwan
Yuping Chen1, Jing-Yang Huang2,3, James Cheng-Chung Wei2,4,5,6
1Department of Physical Therapy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Insights
This study identified key risk factors for cerebral palsy (CP) in Taiwanese children, including paternal health issues like diabetes and substance abuse, alongside infant factors. Early identification of these combined risks is crucial for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with multifactorial causes.
- Understanding specific risk factors is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify significant risk factors for cerebral palsy (CP) in Taiwanese children.
- To explore associations between infant-related and parent-related factors and CP development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized national databases from Taiwan (2009-2016) with over 1.4 million infants.
- Analyzed data from 3,254 children diagnosed with CP between birth and age 3.
- Employed hierarchical logistic regression models to determine odds ratios for risk factors.
Main Results:
- Significant risk factors include suburban location, low income, maternal/paternal diabetes, paternal substance abuse/seizure disorder, male sex, Cesarean section, singleton birth, low birthweight, extreme prematurity.
- Infant factors like intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, tube feeding, ventilator use, and dopamine administration were also associated with CP.
- Paternal health conditions emerged as significant, previously underappreciated, risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Beyond typical maternal and infant factors, paternal conditions like diabetes, seizure disorder, and substance abuse are significant CP risk factors.
- Integrating maternal, paternal, and infant risk factors offers a promising pathway for early CP identification and intervention.
Aim:
To determine the significant risk factors of cerebral palsy (CP) in Taiwanese children and the associations between infant-related and parent-related factors.
Method:
Data from 1 459 093 infants and their parents in Taiwan's national databases collected between 2009 and 2016 were used. The cohort with CP included children diagnosed with CP between birth and age 3 years; a total of 3254 children with CP were included in the final analysis. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio for the risk factors of CP.
Results:
The hierarchical logistic regression models indicated that significant risk factors associated with CP are suburban location, low income, maternal and paternal diabetes mellitus, paternal substance abuse, paternal seizure disorder, male sex, birth by Cesarean section, singleton birth, low birthweight, being born extremely and very preterm, intraventricular hemorrhage, and periventricular leukomalacia, as well as tube feeding, ventilator use, and dopamine administration within 6 months of age.
Interpretation:
In addition to common maternal and infant risk factors, we identified significant paternal risk factors associated with CP, including diabetes mellitus, seizure disorder, and substance abuse. The combination of maternal, paternal, and infant risk factors in CP holds great promise for early identification and intervention.
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