High occurrence of perinatal risk factors and more severe impairments in children with postneonatal cerebral palsy in Norway

Abstract

Aim To describe causal events, perinatal risk factors and clinical characteristics in children with postneonatal cerebral palsy (PNCP). Methods Population-based registry study of Norwegian children born 1999–2013. Prevalence, causal events and clinical characteristics of PNCP were described. The occurrence of perinatal risk factors for CP was compared with the general population. Results Among 1710 children with CP, 67 had PNCP (3.9%; 0.75 per 10,000 livebirths [95%CI: 0.59–0.96]). The prevalence of PNCP decreased during the study period. Leading causal events were cerebrovascular events (32.8%), head injuries/other accidents (22.4%), infections (19.4%) and hypoxic events (14.9%). Spastic hemiplegic (53.7%) or spastic quadriplegic/dyskinetic CP (31.3%) was more common in children with PNCP than non-PNCP (42.3% and 20.1%, respectively; p < 0.001). Children with PNCP had more severe motor and associated impairments. Perinatal risk factors for CP were more common in children with PNCP than in the general population. Conclusion The prevalence of PNCP among Norwegian children was low and decreasing. The main causes were cerebrovascular events and head injuries/other accidents. Although spastic hemiplegic CP was the dominating subtype, children with PNCP had more severe motor and associated impairments than children with non-PNCP, as well as a higher occurrence of perinatal risk factors than in the general population.