Prediction of the development of cerebral palsy from perinatal risk factors

Perinatal data of 29 cerebral palsy (CP) children and 237 control children were analyzed to identify etiological and predictive factors for cerebral palsy. Obstetrical and neonatal factors associated with CP in the low-birth-weight group were sex (male) and place of birth, and in the normal-birth-weight group they were prolonged delivery, meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, an Apgar score of less than 4 at 1 minute, the first respiration occurring only after 3 minutes, and the first cry taking place after 7 minutes. The following neonatal signs and symptoms were strongly associated with CP in the both birth weight groups; convulsion, hypotonia, hypertonia, absence of the Moro reflex, tremor, and apnea. A linear discriminant function was developed from the above neonatal signs and symptoms. The use of three factors, convulsion, hypotonia, and apnea efficiently discriminated between the CP and control children and they would be used as good predictive factors for cerebral palsy.