The epidemiology of cerebral palsy: Incidence, impairments and risk factors

PURPOSE: Describing the epidemiology of cerebral palsy (CP), its impairments and risk factors. METHOD: Literature review 1965-2004. Search terms: Cerebral palsy, incidence, prevalence, impairments, risk factors. RESULTS: In the last 40 years the prevalence of CP has risen to well above 2.0 per 1000 life births. In this time span the proportion of low-birthweight infants rose, the proportion of diplegia decreased, while the proportion of hemiplegia increased. CP is more prevalent in more deprived socio-economic populations. The majority of people with CP have the spastic syndrome of which the diplegic group is the smallest. Dependent on the subgroup of CP, 25-80% have additional impairments. A large proportion…