Life expectancy for children with cerebral palsy and mental retardation: Implications for life care planning

Extrapolating published survival curves to obtain evidence‐based estimates of life expectancy in cerebral palsy

“…We identified potential studies by considering (1) our past experience reviewing such studies, which is extensive for each author, (2) a search of PubMed using 'life expectancy' and 'cerebral palsy' as MeSH terms, and (3) the list of references cited in previous reviews. 2,4,7,8,11 Ultimately we identified 20 original studies that included information on long-term survival probabilities of children or adolescents with CP that we used to produce more than 60 different estimates of life expectancy. 1,[8][9][10]12,[14][15][16][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] As we have indicated, we use the method of PLE to extrapolate mortality rates beyond the time frame of a given study's follow-up.…”

“…It is clear from an extensive literature on survival in CP that level of disability has a profound impact on survival probabilities and thus on life expectancy. 1,2,4,[6][7][8][9][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]25,[31][32][33]35,36,38,39 For example, Brooks et al recently reported life expectancy for 15-yearold females with CP that ranged from as low as 21% to as high as 83% of the corresponding general population life expectancy, depending on level of gross motor functioning and feeding ability. 1 We could, then, go a step further and restrict our attention for a period analysis of mortality rates to one particular level of disability, for example using only data on persons able to roll over and sit independently, but unable to walk.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Only six of the 17 report actual estimates of life expectancy. 1,2,4,6,11,14 Two of these six are reviews that re-state life expectancy numbers from other studies, leaving only four that report life expectancy numbers based on original research. 1,4,6,14 The four studies that have reported life expectancy estimates were all based on the same database of the California Department of Developmental Disabilities.…”

“…As many of these studies note, the question of life expectancy is of great importance to persons with CP, their families, and their care providers. 2,7,11,15 The issue also has important implications for annuity companies, 18 forensic economists, 19,20 life care planners, 2,11,21 and in litigation involving allegations of malpractice as a possible cause of CP. 22 Our goal here is to provide evidence-based estimates of life expectancy for CP cohorts that have been studied and for which long-term survival probabilities have been previously published.…”

Early hospital discharge of infants born to group B streptococci‐positive mothers: a decision analysis

“…42,43 Likewise, annual cost and life expectancy associated with individuals manifesting sequelae of EOGBS sepsis were approximated using the corresponding values for individuals with cerebral palsy. 37,41 For individuals who never developed EOGBS sepsis or who were successfully treated for EOGBS sepsis, i.e. without long-term sequelae, we adjusted each additional surviving year of their life with the age-specific health-related quality of life for the average US population.…”