The changing panorama of cerebral palsy in Sweden. VII. Prevalence and origin in the birth year period 1987‐90

Abstract

This seventh Swedish population-based cerebral palsy (CP) report comprises 216 children born between 1987 and 1990. The crude live birth prevalence was 2.36 per 1000, indicating a break in the continuous increase since 1970. Excluding 10 postnatally-derived cases, gestational-age specific prevalences were 80 for extremely, 54 for very and 8 for moderately preterms and 1.4 for term children per 1000. Birth weight-specific prevalences were 57 for birth weights <1000 g, 68 for 1000–1499 g, 14 for 1500–2499 g and 1.4 for ≥2500 g per 1000. The aetiology was considered prenatal in 8%, peri/neonatal in 54% and unclassifiable in 38% of preterms and 33, 28 and 39% of term children. Hemiplegic, diplegic and tetraplegic syndromes accounted for 22, 66 and 7% of preterms and 44, 29 and 10% of term children. Non-walking, mental retardation, epilepsy, severe visual impairment and infantile hydrocephalus were present in 39, 39, 26, 18 and 23% of preterms; and 38, 44, 36, 14 and 5% of term children, respectively. The entire series of 1408 cases born in 1954–90 revealed three distinct trend eras for preterms, clearly related to changes in perinatal care and shifts in type of CP manifestations.