Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Trends in prevalence of cerebral palsy in children born with a birthweight of 2,500 g or over in Europe from 1980 to 1998

  • NEURO-EPIDEMIOLOGY
  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Time trends for cerebral palsy (CP) prevalence in children born ≥2,500 g vary across studies and scarce data exist on trends by subtype of CP. The objective of this study was to describe changes in prevalence of CP in infants born ≥2,500 g between 1980 and 1998 in Europe. Data were collated from the SCPE (Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe collaboration) common database. Poisson regression was used to test for change in prevalence over time. Birth year and register effects were explored and trends in prevalence were estimated by CP subtype and severity. Four thousand and two children with CP and birthweight ≥2,500 g were recorded in 15 population based-registers. The overall prevalence of CP was 1.16 per 1,000 live births (99% CI, 0.88–1.48) in 1980 and 0.99 (CI, 0.80–1.20) in 1998. The trend was not significant (P = .14), except in two registers. However, there were significant changes in the prevalence of spastic CP subtypes, with a decrease in the bilateral spastic form (P < .001), and an increase in the unilateral spastic form (P = .004). There was a concurrent reduction in neonatal mortality of children with birthweight ≥2,500 g: from 1.7 (CI, 1.4–2.1) to 0.9 (CI, 0.7–1.1) per 1,000 live births. In conclusion, for children born with birthweight ≥2,500 g, the prevalence of CP in Europe was stable in spite of changes by subtype and a significant decrease in neonatal mortality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Himpens E, Van den Broeck C, Oostra A, Calders P, Vanhaesebrouck P. Prevalence, type, distribution, and severity of cerebral palsy in relation to gestational age: a meta-analytic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2008;50:334–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Prevalence and characteristics of children with cerebral palsy in Europe. Dev Med Child Neurol 2002;44:633–40.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Grether JK, Cummins SK, Nelson KB. The California cerebral palsy project. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 1992;6:339–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Watson L, Blair E., Stanley F. Report of the Western Australian cerebral palsy register. To birth year 1999. Perth: Institute for Child Health Research; 2006.

  5. Liu JM, Li S, Lin Q, Li Z. Prevalence of cerebral palsy in China. Int J Epidemiol. 1999;28:949–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Himmelmann K, Beckung E, Hagberg G, Uvebrant P. Gross and fine motor function and accompanying impairments in cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2006;48:417–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hemming K, Colver A, Hutton JL, Kurinczuk JJ, Pharoah PO. The influence of gestational age on severity of impairment in spastic cerebral palsy. J Pediatr. 2008;153:203–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Surman G, Hemming K, Platt MJ, et al. Children with cerebral palsy: severity and trends over time. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2009;23:513–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hagberg B, Hagberg G. The origins of cerebral palsy. In: David T, editor. Recent advances in paediatrics, vol. 11. London: Churchill Livingstone; 1993. p. 67–83.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Krageloh-Mann I, Horber V. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in elucidating the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2007;49:144–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ashwal S, Russman BS, Blasco PA, et al. Practice parameter: diagnostic assessment of the child with cerebral palsy: report of the quality standards subcommittee of the American academy of neurology and the practice committee of the child neurology society. Neurology. 2004;62:851–63.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cans C, De-la-Cruz J, Mermet MA. Epidemiology of cerebral palsy. Paediatr Child Health. 2008;18:393–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Paneth N, Hong T, Korzeniewski S. The descriptive epidemiology of cerebral palsy. Clin Perinatol. 2006;33:251–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Drummond PM, Colver AF. Analysis by gestational age of cerebral palsy in singleton births in north-east England 1970–94. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2002;16:172–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Topp M, Uldall P, Greisen G. Cerebral palsy births in eastern Denmark, 1987–90: implications for neonatal care. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2001;15:271–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Dolk H, Parkes J, Hill N. Trends in the prevalence of cerebral palsy in Northern Ireland, 1981–1997. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2006;48:406–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wu YW, Croen LA, Shah SJ, Newman TB, Najjar DV. Cerebral palsy in a term population: risk factors and neuroimaging findings. Pediatrics. 2006;118:690–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Winter S, Autry A, Boyle C, Yeargin-Allsopp M. Trends in the prevalence of cerebral palsy in a population-based study. Pediatrics. 2002;110:1220–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Himmelmann K, Hagberg G, Beckung E, Hagberg B, Uvebrant P. The changing panorama of cerebral palsy in Sweden. IX. Prevalence and origin in the birth-year period 1995–1998. Acta Paediatr. 2005;94:287–94.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sigurdardottir S, Thorkelsson T, Halldorsdottir M, Thorarensen O, Vik T. Trends in prevalence and characteristics of cerebral palsy among Icelandic children born 1990 to 2003. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009;51:356–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe: a collaboration of cerebral palsy surveys and registers. Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE). Dev Med Child Neurol 2000;42:816–24.

  22. Cans C, Dolk H, Platt MJ, Colver A, Prasauskiene A, Krageloh-Mann I. Recommendations from the SCPE collaborative group for defining and classifying cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl. 2007;109:35–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Platt MJ, Krageloh-Mann I, Cans C. Surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe: reference and training manual. Med Educ. 2009;43:495–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Beckung E, Hagberg G, Uldall P, Cans C. Probability of walking in children with cerebral palsy in Europe. Pediatrics. 2008;12:187–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Marsal K, Persson PH, Larsen T, Lilja H, Selbing A, Sultan B. Intrauterine growth curves based on ultrasonically estimated foetal weights. Acta Paediatr. 1996;85:843–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Gardosi J, Mongelli M, Wilcox M, Chang A. An adjustable fetal weight standard. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 1995;6:168–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Topp M, Langhoff-Roos J, Uldall P. Validation of a cerebral palsy register. J Clin Epidemiol. 1997;50:1017–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Johnson A, King R. Can routine information systems be used to monitor serious disability? Arch Dis Child. 1999;80:63–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Parkes J, Dolk H, Hill N. Does the child health computing system adequately identify children with cerebral palsy? J Public Health Med. 1998;20:102–4.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Guillem P, Lavergne C, Cans C. How to calculate the completeness of ascertainment of a morbidity register? example of the Isere childhood handicap register in Grenoble, France. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 2000;48:41–51.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Mcintyre S, Blair E, Badawi N, Watson L. The changing picture of cerebral palsy for those born at term: 16 years of population data. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009;51(Suppl 2):1–90.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Platt MJ, Cans C, Johnson A, et al. Trends in cerebral palsy among infants of very low birthweight (<1500 g) or born prematurely (<32 weeks) in 16 European centres: a database study. Lancet. 2007;369:43–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Colver AF, Gibson M, Hey EN, Jarvis SN, Mackie PC, Richmond S. Increasing rates of cerebral palsy across the severity spectrum in north-east England 1964–1993. The North of England collaborative cerebral palsy survey. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2000;83:F7–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Gainsborough M, Surman G, Maestri G, Colver A, Cans C. Validity and reliability of the guidelines of the surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe for the classification of cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2008;50:828–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Himmelmann K, McManus V, Hagberg G, Uvebrant P, Krageloh-Mann I, Cans C. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy in Europe: trends in prevalence and severity. Arch Dis Child. 2009;94:921–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Pharoah PO. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy in Europe: trends in prevalence and severity, on behalf of the SCPE Collaboration. Arch Dis Child. 2009;94:917–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all SCPE participants: C Cans, S Rey (RHEOP, Grenoble, FR), J Chalmers (ISDSHS, Edinburgh, UK), V McManus, A Lyons (Lavanagh Centre, Cork, IE), J Parkes, H Dolk (Belfast, UK), P Uvebrant, K Himmelmann (Göteborg University, Göteborg, SW), A Colver (University of Newcastle, Newcastle, UK), J Kurinczuk, G Surman (NPEU, Oxford, UK), I Krägeloh-Mann, V Horber (Tübingen University, Tübingen, DE), MJ Platt (University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK), P Udall, S Holst-Ravn (NIPH, Copenhagen, DK), MG Torrioli, S Matricardi (Lazio Cerebral Palsy Register, Rome, IT), G Andersen, A Meberg (CPRN, Tonsberg, NO), M Bottos (Bologna, IT), G Gaffney (Galway, IE), J De la Cruz, C Pallas (DIMAS-SAMID, Madrid, SP). This work was supported by grants from the European Commission [Research DG-QLG5-2001-30133, DGSANCO-2003-3131]. Geraldine Surman was funded by the Policy Research Programme in the Department of Health, England and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the Department.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine Cans.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sellier, E., Surman, G., Himmelmann, K. et al. Trends in prevalence of cerebral palsy in children born with a birthweight of 2,500 g or over in Europe from 1980 to 1998. Eur J Epidemiol 25, 635–642 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9474-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9474-0

Keywords

Navigation