[Cerebral palsy therapy]

Unfortunately, in spite of the advances in foetal and perinatal medicine in the last twenty years, the incidence of cerebral palsy has remained unchanged (1.5-2.5 per 1000 live births). It has even possibly risen slightly in premature babies of low birth weight, in parallel with the increased survival of these babies. In spite of modern techniques of rehabilitation, 25% of these patients cannot walk and 35% are mentally retarded. This costs society 5,000 million dollars annually, not counting the loss of opportunity and the emotional and economic burden imposed on these families. The development of new preventive measures such as the use of antagonists of the cortical excitatory amino acids (which when in excess may cause irreversible cerebral damage in cases of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy of the new born). Intramuscular botulinum toxin and continuous intrathecal baclofen seem to promise a reduction in the incidence and functional incapacity of cerebral palsy.