Cerebral Palsy Occurrence in the US

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of motor disability in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in 303 8-year-old children in the US.

Girl on tricycle: Cerebral Palsy effects approximately 1 in 303 8-year-old children in the US

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Children with CP and their families have a pressing need for enhanced health, education, and intervention services. Population-based data on the prevalence (occurrence), level of function, and co-occurring developmental disabilities can increase the understanding of the complexities of CP and inform service planning and treatment needs.
Researchers from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network recently released a report, Prevalence and Functioning of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Four Areas of the United States in 2006: A Report from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, on the occurrence and functioning of children with CP in four areas of the United States. The ADDM Network is a multi-site program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the occurrence of CP and assess trends in CP severity over time. The report is the first multi-site, population-based study of cerebral palsy in the US to provide estimates of co-occurring developmental disabilities, gross motor function (GMF), and walking ability among children with CP. The report also presents updated cerebral palsy data among 8-year-old US children.
For 2006, the ADDM CP Network reported that:

Approximately 1 in every 303 8-year-old children had CP across four sites – Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Wisconsin;
CP, on average, occurred 1.2 times more frequently among boys than among girls;
Approximately 58% of the children with CP were White non-Hispanic (White-NH), 29% were Black or African-American non-Hispanic (Black-NH), and 9% were of Hispanic ethnicity; and
More than 40% of children with CP had an intellectual disability, 35% had epilepsy, more than 15% had vision impairment, and 8% had an autism spectrum disorder.

While the study finds that 56% of children with CP are able to walk independently, approximately one-third of the children with CP are severely affected and required additional service and resource needs. Overall, 33% of children with CP are categorized as having limited or no walking ability. To better understand functioning levels among children with CP, it is important that information on GMF is documented in clinical assessments in order to obtain a complete picture and enhance surveillance data.
Chart: Demographic characteristics of cerebral palsy prevalence estimates by site, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 200 (per 1000, 8-year-old children).

Chart: Demographic characteristics of cerebral palsy prevalence estimates by site, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 200 (per 1000, 8-year-old children).

More Information

CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money to have a more secure nation. A US federal agency, CDC helps make the healthy choice the easy choice by putting science and prevention into action. CDC works to help people live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

CDC Data & Statistics | Feature: Cerebral Palsy Occurrence in the US: - Enviado mediante la barra Google