The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the association between exposure to preeclampsia during pregnancy and the occurrence of cerebral palsy in offspring. For this reason, the authors searched PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases (end-of-search: 22 November 2021) and identified the most relevant studies. Then, a meta-analysis of all the eligible studies was performed. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses by study design, degree of adjustment, and geographical region were also conducted. A total of 10 studies were finally included, and no statistical significance was noted in the association between preeclampsia and cerebral palsy (pooled OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.77-1.74). The subgroup of studies that provided adjusted odds ratios for any variable except for gestational age showed a statistically significant association (pooled OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.36-1.93), whereas the association dissipated in studies also adjusting for gestational age (pooled OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 0.48-5.50). In conclusion, it seems that preeclampsia is not associated with cerebral palsy independently of gestational age; however, further research is needed to shed light on this topic.
Keywords: cerebral palsy; gestational age; offspring; preeclampsia; prematurity.