Epidemiological and Functional Profile of Children With Cerebral Palsy Assisted at the Unicamp Clinical Hospital.

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is caused by multiple risk factors bringing motor and postural control disruptions with a variety of clinical signs.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological and functional profile of children with CP attended at the Physiotherapy Clinic for Motor Rehabilitation (PCMR) of the Clinical Hospital (CH) of the University of Campinas (Unicamp).

Methods: Children up to 12 years old with CP were included. Epidemiological data were collected through interviews, followed by the scales: Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66), International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health for Children and Youth with CP (ICF-CY-CP) Core Sets, and the GMFCS Family Report Questionnaire.

Results: A total of 37 children were assessed, with an average age of 7 years. It was found that 87% of the mothers received prenatal care, 61% of the children were born at a low weight, with 36% of cases being extreme or very premature births. The primary perinatal complication was neonatal anoxia (50%), while the most common postnatal complication was stroke (11%). CP was diagnosed at an average age of 12 months, with bilateral spastic CP being the most prevalent (63%). Orthopedic complications were present in 80% of cases, even though only 39% of children had orthopedic monitoring. In the functional analysis, 65% were classified at levels IV and V of the GMFCS, highly correlated with GMFCS Family Report Questionnaire (Kappa = 0.88; 95% IC 0.79-0.96). The scores of 3 and 4 on the ICF-CY-CP Core Sets in most activities involving motor functions, along with scores below 30 on the PEDI, indicate severe motor impairment.

Conclusion: Parents had a realistic perception of the children's functionality. The results highlight the severity of motor impairment in these children and emphasize the need for multidisciplinary assistance.