The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2013 , Vol 55 , Num 1
Changing Views of Cerebral Palsy Over 35 Years: The Experience of a Center
Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, 1Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydın, 2Ege
University Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, and 3Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey.
E-mail: aysetosun2000@yahoo.com
In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical
characteristics of cerebral palsy (CP) cases over a 35-year period. Findings of
442 patients with CP followed from 1995 to 2006 (Group 2) were compared
with 208 patients with CP followed between 1972 and 1994 (Group 1) in
the same pediatric neurology division. Ratios of both prematurity (38%
vs. 17.7%) and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (13.8% vs. 1.5%)
significantly increased in Group 2. There was also a four-fold increase in
cesarean delivery in Group 2 (42.3% vs. 9.6%). A significant increase in the
rate of early diagnosis during the first year was also found in this group
(56.9% vs. 39.4%). The rate of spastic diparesis cases has significantly
increased (33.7% vs. 7.7%), while the rate of spastic tetraparesis cases has
significantly decreased (63.5% vs. 37.3%). It was seen that preventable risk
factors continue today.
Keywords :
cerebral palsy, etiology, spasticity, tetraparesis, diparesis.