Risk factor profiles in infants born preterm and at term with cerebral palsy in Argentina: Findings from the Argentine Cerebral Palsy Register.

AIM: To describe the patterns of co-occurrence between previously documented risk factors and gestational age in infants with cerebral palsy (CP) registered in the Argentine Cerebral Palsy Register (Registro Argentino De Parálisis Cerebral [RAR-PC]).

METHOD: This register-based, cross-sectional study analysed data from individuals with confirmed CP registered in the RAR-PC. Family interviews and medical record reviews were conducted. The variables analysed included CP characteristics, a predefined set of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal risk factors, and sociodemographic variables. Correspondence analysis was used to identify patterns of co-occurrence between these risk factors and gestational age at birth.

RESULTS

Three hundred individuals born preterm and 196 individuals born at term with CP were included in this study. Prenatal risk factors that co-occurred with preterm birth included low birthweight, neonatal respiratory disease, prolonged hospitalization, and family circumstances such as critical overcrowding and an unemployed primary income earner. In contrast, term births were more frequently accompanied by home delivery, incomplete antenatal care, and family circumstances such as critical overcrowding and an unemployed primary income earner. Infants born preterm were often presented simultaneously with admission to a neonatal intensive care unit or special care nursery, whereas infants born at term tended to co-occur with perinatal asphyxia and feeding difficulties.

INTERPRETATION: Risk factors for CP, previously documented and systematically collected according to the directives of the Global Low and Middle Income Cerebral Palsy Register, co-occur differently with gestational age. These locally specific patterns provide relevant guidance for prevention, early diagnosis, and tailored interventions.