Pattern of cerebral palsy in children presenting to Kenyatta National Hospitals occupational therapy department

Abstract

A three month cross sectional descriptive study was carried out on children with cerebral palsy, presenting to the occupational therapy department of KNH , from February to April 1993. The objectives of the study were to describe the pattern and to identify some risk factors associated with CP, in children seen at the occupational therapy department of KNH. One hundred children with C.P. were studied. The median age was 18 months, with a male to fe male ratio of 1.3:1. Asphyxia was found to be the most common associated risk factor of CP, contributing 40% of all cases. This was followed by intracranial infections 29% , unknown 17% , kernicterus 8% , multiple factors 5% and head injury 1% . Spastic cerebral palsy was the roostcornnonpresenting type of cerebral palsy contributing 84% of cases. Extrapyramidal 16% and the mixed type 3%, made up the rest. Resul ts of this study show that perinatal and postnatal risk factors,mainly contributed to most cases of cerebral palsy. Hence the author recommends that a follow up study to this one wi th controls, should be carried out to determine the aetiology of CP in our health institutions. This would help in the preventive aspects of the control of CP.