Cerebral palsy in Brazil: A multicentre, cross-sectional, descriptive study.

AIM: To describe individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) followed at the SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals in Brazil.

METHOD: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Individuals diagnosed analysis (n = 17 771).

RESULTS

The mean age at the first visit was 3 years 5 months (SD = 3 years 1 month), with 55.3% participants being male. At birth, 52.0% had normal weight and 50.3% were born at term. Perinatal risk factors were the most prevalent: preterm birth (48.4%); low birthweight (48.0%); and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (40.1%). Spastic CP (75.5%), bilateral involvement (75.9%), and Gross Motor Function Classification System levels III to V (57.8%) were predominant.

INTERPRETATION: Demographic and clinical data are comparable with previous reports from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite clinical advances in prenatal and perinatal care, most individuals with CP had severely affected motor function. As the prevalence of CP is higher in LMICs, and considering the direct influence of psychosocial factors on children with CP, it is essential to support multicentre and national registries in LMICs to adapt family-centred rehabilitation planning guidelines.