Objective: To investigate the relationship between perinatal risk factors such as premature, low birth weight, small for gestational age and childhood cerebral palsy (CP).
Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out among 305,263 children aged 1 - 6 years old in seven cities of Jiangsu Province, China from May to July 1997. The perinatal risk factors were analysed.
Results: Four hundred and eighty-four cases of CP were found among this population. The prevalence of CP for children aged 1 - 6 years old was 1.59 per thousand. The prevalence of CP were strongly correlated to prematurity (RR = 25.16), low birth weight (RR = 19.63), and also highly correlated to small for gestational age (RR = 4.34). For smaller groups divided by small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), large for gestational age (LGA) and then by gestational age, prematurity was found to be at high risk in SGA (RR = 9.29), AGA (RR = 28.34) and LGA (RR = 21.41) groups. For groups divided by gestational age and then by SGA, AGA and LGA, SGA was found to have significantly high risk in premature (RR = 1.45), mature (RR = 4.41) and postmature (RR = 3.19) groups. Nine groups were divided by the gestational age along with SGA, AGA and LGA, rates of CP were found to be significantly higher in most groups than in the term AGA group. Compared with the rate of CP in the term AGA group, the RR were calculated and showed as followings (from higher to lower), premature SGA (RR = 40.99), premature AGA (RR = 28.34), premature LGA (RR = 21.08), postmature SGA (RR = 8.39), mature SGA (RR = 4.41) and postmature AGA (RR = 2.63).
Conclusion: Prematurity and small for gestational age are both independent risk factors for cerebral palsy. Postmaturity and large for gestational age are not risk factors.