Epidemiological characteristics of cerebral palsy in children and adolescents in a Brazilian northeast capital

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe the prevalence of cerebral palsy among children and adolescents, its subtypes, associated comorbidities, and socioeconomic characteristics of families. This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted from a population-based survey on cerebral palsy among children and adolescents in the city of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Results: Based on guardians’ answers to the proposed questionnaire, we obtained data on 240 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Aracaju. The period prevalence of cerebral palsy was 1.37 per 1,000 people. Some neighborhoods showed a prevalence three to four times higher than that found to the overall city, indicating that the total prevalence is not a homogeneous indicator. Most participants were male (56.25%), self-declared as mixed-race or Black (67.50%), and aged 8.56 years on average. Bilateral spastic was the most prevalent cerebral palsy subtype (45.42%), and epilepsy was the most common comorbidity (48.33%) along with intellectual disability. Household monthly income was $ 252.87. Our results indicate that children and adolescents with cerebral palsy are mostly from minoritized groups, Black or mixed-race, and live in extreme poverty.

摘要 本研究旨在描述儿童青少年脑性瘫痪（cerebral palsy）的患病率、亚型、合并症情况及患儿家庭的社会经济特征。本研究为横断面流行病学研究，基于巴西塞尔希培州阿拉卡茹市开展的儿童青少年脑性瘫痪人群调查完成。结果：基于监护人对所拟定问卷的作答，我们共收集到阿拉卡茹市240例脑性瘫痪儿童青少年的相关数据。脑性瘫痪的时期患病率为1.37/1000。部分社区的患病率为全市整体水平的3至4倍，提示总患病率并非均质化指标。多数研究对象为男性（56.25%），自我报告为混血或黑人（67.50%），平均年龄为8.56岁。双侧痉挛型脑性瘫痪为最常见的亚型（45.42%），癫痫为最常见的合并症（48.33%），常与智力障碍共患。家庭月均收入为252.87美元。本研究结果显示，脑性瘫痪儿童青少年大多来自少数群体，即黑人或混血群体，且生活在极端贫困状态中。