Causes, types and clinical outcomes in children with cerebral palsy: A retrospective study

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood, presenting in diverse clinical forms, including spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, and mixed types. Understanding its epidemiological patterns, etiological factors, and clinical outcomes is essential for improving management strategies.

Objectives: This study examined the demographic profiles, underlying causes, clinical features, and outcomes of CP patients treated at El-Shamal Specialized Hospital between December 2023 and February 2024.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 45 patients diagnosed with CP. Data were collected on sex, age, residence, etiology, motor subtype, associated impairments (including intellectual disability, speech delay, and epilepsy), severity, and clinical outcomes.

Results: Most patients were male (64.4%) and aged 0–5 years (55.6%), with the majority residing in the Northern State (71.1%). Perinatal factors were the leading cause of CP (64.4%), followed by prenatal (20%) and postnatal (15.6%) causes. Spastic CP was the most common subtype (62.2%), followed by hypotonic (15.5%) and dyskinetic (13.3%) types; among dyskinetic cases, dystonic features were more common than athetoid. Ataxic CP was rare (4.4%). Comorbidities were common, including milestone delays (97.8%), speech delays (88.9%), and intellectual disability (84.4%). Epilepsy was present in 26.7% of patients, and no cases of hearing impairment were reported. Regarding severity, 48.9% were classified as severe. Clinical improvement was observed in 57.8% of patients, and no mortality was recorded.

Conclusion: The findings reflect global CP patterns while highlighting regional differences, particularly the predominance of perinatal causes and spastic subtypes. The high burden of comorbidities underscores the need for early, multidisciplinary interventions. Further large-scale studies are recommended to validate these findings and guide local management strategies.