The study was done in a tertiary children's outpatient hospital from July 2013 to December 2014. This was a retrospective, descriptive chart review of cerebral palsy patients.
Few comprehensive studies have been done in South Africa.
30 children were analyzed. The average age was 5.8 years. The range was 2 to 13.5 years. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. Children were classified according to the type of cerebral palsy. A paediatric neurologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, dietitian and psychologist examined them. 53% had bilateral spastic, 26.7% unilateral spastic, 13% dyskinetic, one ataxic and one mixed cerebral palsy. Common comorbidities (average 4 per child) were epilepsy, cognitive impairment, contractures, reflux, constipation, drooling and behaviour problems. Two had fractures and two precocious puberty. Twenty children (66%) had Epilepsy and twelve (40%) abnormal EEGs. There were 13 MRI brains done. The number of children with abnormal radiology, which included Ct brain, was 25 (83%). Two were unrecorded. Aetiology ranged from perinatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (43%), 13% brain malformations, 16.7% prematurity related complications, 23% post natal complications, including TB meningitis and jaundice, and one patient with no identified cause. Only nine children (30%) could walk. There was a high degree of disability with the GMFCS above 4 in 63%. The children were on an average of 4 medications and none were on Botulin toxin injections. Only 6 were in special schools.
The number of bilateral spastic cerebral palsy is still very high. The aetiology includes high number of preventable causes. There is a very high degree of comorbidity in children with cerebral palsy in South Africa and a high need for other therapy like botulin toxin, anti-drooling medication and special schools.