Is Cerebral Palsy Changing in High Resource Settings? Data From the Quebec Cerebral Palsy Registry

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) frequently have associated disorders and complications, including gastrointestinal problems. Helicobacter pylori is a common infection worldwide, frequently associated with gastrointestinal manifestations.

METHODS

To estimate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in children with CP, a cross-sectional study over an eight-month period was performed in the pediatric neurology outpatient clinic of Tanta University Hospital. The study included 100 patients with CP aged two to 17 years. All patients were tested for H. pylori antigen in stool by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

The mean age of studied children with CP was 7.03 ± 4.1 years; there were 57 males and 43 females. Spastic quadriplegic CP was the most common type of CP (34%). Forty-five children with CP were positive for H. pylori antigen in stool. Intellectual disability (ID), low sociodemographic scoring system, semisolid diet, and Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS) levels 4 and 5 were significant predictors of H. pylori infection (odds ratio of 1.86, 2.63, 12, and 1.77, respectively, P < 0.05). Vomiting, abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal tract bleeding were significantly more frequent in H. pylori-infected children with CP than noninfected children with CP (P value < 0.05) CONCLUSION: H. pylori is a relatively common infection among children with CP. The main risk factors for H. pylori infection were low socioeconomic level, ID, semisolid diet, and EDACS levels 4 and 5.

Establishing a cerebral palsy registry in Kuwait: An exploratory study

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP), the most common motor disability in childhood, comprises a group of permanent non-progressive disorders affecting the antenatal, neonatal, or early postnatal development of areas in the brain responsible for posture and movement. Registries for children with CP, or surveillance programs, have been a source of consistently increasing research productivity; 38 related articles were published in 2013. In Kuwait, a CP registry would provide baseline information on children with CP and their parents. The registry could include demographic information obtained through parental interviews, or review of the mothers' and the children's medical charts.

Objective

This study was aimed at exploring the establishment of a pediatric CP registry in Kuwait.

Methods

In this exploratory study, caregivers of children with CP were recruited from rehabilitation clinics around Kuwait. The inclusion criteria were 1) boys or girls with a documented diagnosis of CP made between 6 months and 18 years of age, 2) caregivers with permanent residency in Kuwait, and 4) caregivers speaking Arabic and/or English fluently. The variables collected comprised registry and feasibility variables. Registry-associated variables comprised demographic and medical information about the children, and caregivers' willingness to be contacted for a follow-up or participation in other research projects. Feasibility variables were the percentage of information gathered, and the willingness of caregivers to participate in, and of therapists to recruit for, the registry.

Results

Fifty-three caregivers of children with CP participated in this study. The mean age of the recruited children with CP was 5 years and 5 months (SD = 3 y 4 m, range = 11 m to 16 y 8 m/female n = 25). GMFCS level V was reported by half of the sample (n = 29/55.77%). Of the 112 caregivers screened, fewer than half (n = 53 of 112/47.32%) participated in the study. Most caregivers (n = 48/90.56%) used the Arabic version of the form.

Conclusion

The establishment of a pediatric CP registry in Kuwait is feasible, on the basis of our data.

Causes, functional outcomes and healthcare utilisation of people with cerebral palsy in Singapore

Introduction: A voluntary cerebral palsy (CP) registry was established in 2017 to describe the clinical characteristics and functional outcomes of CP in Singapore. Methods: People with CP born after 1994 were recruited through KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National University Hospital and Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore. Patient-reported basic demographics, service utilisation and quality of life measures were collected with standardised questionnaires. Clinical information was obtained through hospital medical records. Results: Between 1 September 2017 and 31 March 2020, 151 participants were recruited. A majority (n=135, 89%) acquired CP in the pre/perinatal period, where prematurity (n=102, 76%) and the need for emergency caesarean section (n=68, 50%) were leading risk factors. Sixteen (11%) of the total participants had post-neonatally acquired CP. For predominant CP motor types, 109 (72%) had a spastic motor type; 32% with spastic mono/hemiplegia, 41% diplegia, 6% triplegia and 21% quadriplegia. The remaining (42, 27.8%) had dyskinetic CP. Sixty-eight (45.0%) participants suffered significant functional impairment (Gross Motor Functional Classification System levels IV–V). Most participants (n=102, 67.5%) required frequent medical follow-up (≥4 times a year). Conclusion: Optimisation of pre- and perinatal care to prevent and manage prematurity could reduce the burden of CP and their overall healthcare utilisation. Keywords: Cerebral palsy, functional outcomes, neonatal, registry