Srinivasa Rao Tatavarti1, Vidyullatha Arimilli2, Subbalakshmi T. D. P3
INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Preterm birth is the birth of baby before 37 completed weeks, a full term birth is birth at 37 to 42 weeks of gestation. AIM: To show the extent of association of preterm deliveries as a risk factor in development of cerebral palsy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by eliciting history from the mothers of 99 cerebral palsy children who were treated in Rani Chandra Mani Devi Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Detailed history was taken from the mothers of 99 cerebral palsy children who were treated in this hospital. History regarding the period of gestation at which the child was born (preterm or full term), any previous history of pre-term delivery or abortions, was obtained from the mothers and the data analyzed.
RESULTS: From this study it was observed the proportional association of pre-term births to cerebral palsy is 33 out 99 i.e., about 33.33%, Of these 33 cerebral palsy children highest association being with birth at 28 wks gestation (51 %). This study also shows that the mothers with a previous history of preterm delivery have 14.4 times higher risk of subsequent pre term delivery; those with previous history of abortions have 5.7 times risk of pre-term delivery than mothers without such history.
CONCLUSION: From this study it was concluded that the pre-term birth plays a major role as a risk factor in the development of cerebral palsy with mothers having previous pre term delivery and previous abortions adding further to this risk.
