Pattern of Cerebral Palsy Among Sudanese Children Less Than 15 Years of Age

Abstract

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive, everlasting neurological disorder of movement, posture, and physical activities, with a prevalence of 2.2-3.3/1,000. CP is a condition that occurs globally, with a similar prevalence in both developed and undeveloped countries. However, the etiology differs according to the socioeconomic status of the countries. The objective is to determine the pattern and the contributing factors of CP among Sudanese children. Methods: This was a retrospective hospital-based study conducted over a period of three years in a pediatric referral hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. One hundred and eight patients of CP were enrolled, of whom 59 (54.6%) were males and 49 (45.4%) were females. Results: Spastic quadriplegic CP was the most common type. Most cases were from lower social classes. Prenatal, antenatal, and unclassified CP were found in 45 (41.7%), 31 (28.7.%), 23 (21.3%), and 9 (8.3%) cases, respectively. Birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice, Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus infections (TORCH), and sepsis (acquired) were the main causative factors. Conclusion: Spastic quadriplegia is the most common type of CP. Most of the cases had a direct positive relationship with socioeconomic status. The prenatal period was the most common period for the development of CP.

Epidemiology of Cerebral Palsy among Children and Adolescents in Arabic-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Most of the studies were from Saudi Arabia ( n = 10) [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ], Jordan ( n = 8) [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], Egypt ( n = 6) [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ], and Iraq ( n = 4) [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. Other studies were from Sudan ( n = 2) [ 57 , 58 ], Libya ( n = 1) [ 59 ], and Palestine ( n = 1) [ 60 ]. There were a variety of study designs.…”

“…Most were of case-series ( n = 13) [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 53 , 55 , 56 ] and cross-sectional design ( n = 11) [ 29 , 31 , 39 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Other study designs included: case-control ( n = 5) [ 35 , 54 , 58 , 59 , 60 ], retrospective review ( n = 2) [ 37 , 57 ], and prospective/retrospective cohort ( n = 1) [ 30 ]. Seven studies [ 31 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 52 ] reported comparable prevalence; however, only one study reported birth years [ 52 ].…”

A Girl from Qatar with Post-Infantile Acquired Cerebral Palsy Caused By Submersion Injury: A Rare Etiology and a Therapeutic-Challenge.

“…Cans et al (2004) reported that 50% of cases of cerebral palsy with postneonatal origin (arising more than 28 days after birth, and before the age of 25 months) were caused by infection;20% caused by vascular episodes, 18% caused by head injury. They suggested that children with cerebral palsy of post-neonatal origin had a more severe functional pattern than non-post-neonatal cerebral palsy children [19]. Reid and colleagues (2006) from Australia reported that 10.7% of 339 cases of cerebral palsy had post-neonatally acquired condition caused by infection, traumatic head injury a, hypoxia, acute encephalopathies, and cerebrovascular accidents [20].…”

A Girl from Qatar with Post-Infantile Acquired Cerebral Palsy Caused By Submersion Injury: A Rare Etiology and a Therapeutic Challenge

“…The work of Salih (2020) from Sudan emphasized that prenatal causes were the most common causes of cerebral palsy, but post natal causes included neonatal jaundice and acquired sepsis [21].…”