Cerebral Palsy Epidemiology in Tikrit-Iraq

Prenatal risk factors were the commonest (59%), the most important risk factor was prematurity (21%) followed by asphyxia (19%) and kernicterus (17%), while it was unknown in majority of cases (31%). Spastic diplegia accounted for (40%) of the total cases, spastic quadriplegia (34%), spastic hemiplegia (14%), and extrapyramidal cases were (12%). Spastic CP was the major form in both sexes, and was mainly diaplegic (23% in males), (17% in females). Spastic diplegia was the commonest form of CP in low and middle SES (22%, 8% respectively), while in high SES it was equal between diplegia and quadriplegia (10% for both). Spastic types of CP were the major form in both rural and urban areas and diplegia being the commonest (39%, 16% respectively). Cortical brain atrophy was the commonest neuroimaging finding (59%) followed by PVL (19%), ICH (7%), ischemia (3%), and normal findings were found in (12%) of cases. Cortical brain atrophy was the main neuroimaging finding in spastic quadriplegia (34%) and extrapyramidal CP (10%), PVL was the main neuroimaging finding in spastic diplegia (18%), ICH and ischemia were the main neuroimaging findings in spastic hemiplegia (6%, 3% respectively), while most of normal findings were in spastic diplegia (9%).