Article Text
Abstract
Background The clinical spectrum and associated factors of cerebral palsy may differ between developing and developed countries.
Aim To evaluate the predisposing factors, clinical spectrum, and associated problems of cerebral palsy (CP) in children.
Settingand design In this retrospective study patient data were extracted from file records in our center for early diagnosis of childhood disabilities.
Patients and Methods Our study population included one hundred and twenty two children with age range from 7 months to 17 years. Patients were followed and reviewed in a 32 months period from September 2007 to April 2010.
Simple statistical analysis was used for percentage calculation.
Results and Conclusions Spastic type was the predominant (82.7%), with quadriplegic subtype being the most common (34.4%). The other types were choreoathetoide (8.2%) mixed type (6.6%) and ataxic (2.5%) being the least. Speech delay was the most common associated problem (71.3%) followed by mental retardation (61.5%), seizures (35.2%), hearing problems (26.2), and autism (4.9%) being the least .The clinical spectrum of CP in our country may differ from that reported from the western countries. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the clinical spectrum and predisposing factors in Jordan.