Table 1.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Children with Cerebral Palsy (n = 135)
| n (%) or median (IQR) | |
|---|---|
| Characteristic | |
| Sex M/F | 72/63 |
| Age at presentation(years) | 3.5 (3.2) |
| Birth weight (Kg) n = 113 | 3.2 (0.94;0.8-6.0) |
| Birth in Hospital | 101 (74.8%) |
| Residence (Urban/Rural) | 95/40 |
| Parental factors | |
| Age of father at child’s birth (years) n = 121 | 30 (7.9;18-68) |
| Age of mother at child’s birth(years) n = 130 | 24 (5.4;14-45) |
| Mother attended antenatal care | 122 (90.4%) |
| History of infection/fever during 1st trimester | 58 (43.0%) |
| Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy | 35 (25.9%) |
| Perinatal factors a | |
| Vaginal delivery | 103 (76.3%) |
| Preterm birth (<37wks GA) | 18 (13.3%) |
| Prenatal complications | 37 (27.2%) |
| Neonatal complications | 28 (20.6%) |
| Post neonatal complications | 25 (18.4%) |
| Clinical Presentation | |
| Dysmorphic features | 43 (31.9%) |
| Microcephalyb | 32 (33.7%) |
| Congenital Anomaly | 4 (3.0%) |
| Hydrocephalous | 4 (3.0%) |
| Positive HIV Serologyc | 2 (1.7%) |
| Type of Cerebral Palsy | |
| Bilateral Spastic | 62 (45.9%) |
| Unilateral Spastic | 32 (23.7%) |
| Dyskinetic | 17 (12.6%) |
| Ataxia | 13 (9.6%) |
| Unclassifiable | 11(8.1%) |
| Co-morbidity | |
| Signs of Epilepsy | 61(45.2%) |
| Signs of Speech and Language disorders | 50 (37.0%) |
| Signs of Visual Impairments | 40 (29.6%) |
| Signs of Hearing Impairments | 21 (15.6%) |
| Signs of Behavioral disorders | |
| ▪Signs of Anxiety/Depression | 26 (19.3%) |
| ▪Signs of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity | 46 (34.1%) |
| Signs of Learning disability | 102 (75.6%) |
| Signs of Autistic Spectrum Disorders | 32 (23.7%) |
M-Male; F-Female; GA-Gestational age.
a Prenatal factors: Prenatal period: From pregnancy until birth.; Neonatal period: From birth up to day 28.
Post neonatal period: From day 29 up to 2 years.
b Microcephaly- done in 95 children < 5 years of age. c Positive HIV Serology - only 114 caregivers consented to this test.