Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a diagnostic term used to describe a group of permanent disorders of movement and posture that cause activity limitations and are attributed to non-progressive disturbances in the developing fetal or infant brain. The motor disorders are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior, as well as epilepsy and secondary musculoskeletal problems. The study aims to describe and analyze antenatal and intrapartum risk factors for children with CP attending Wad Madani Pediatric Teaching Hospital during the study duration. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, and hospital-based study using the total coverage technique. A questionnaire was used for data collection, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for data analysis. Sixty children with CP were included in the study. Thirty-six were males, and 24 were females, male-to-female ratio 3:2. Forty-six parents had consanguineous marriage. Home delivery was the most prevalent maternal
risk factor for CP (27, 45%), followed by urinary tract infection 12 (20%), with no antenatal care 11 (18.3%), prolonged rupture of membranes 5
(8.3%), bleeding during pregnancy 4 (6.6%), abdominal trauma 3 (5%), and intrapartum maternal fever, thyroid disease and congenital infection, 2 (3%) in each category. Baby’s risk factors include those who did not cry 41 (68.3%), prematurity 2 (3.3%), and multiple pregnancies 2 (3.3%). Spastic Quadriplegia was the most common type of CP in 34 (56.6%), while hypoxicischemic encephalopathy was the most frequent infant risk factor.

Key words: Antenatal care, Birth attendance, Antecedents to cerebral palsy.