Demographical and Obstetrics Characteristics of Study Subjects Coming in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern U.P.

Background: Cerebral Palsy is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder. Published studies estimate the prevalence of cerebral palsy in India to be 2.1 to 3 per 1000 live births. The present study was aimed to study the demographical and obstetrics characteristics of study subjects coming in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: It was an hospital-based case control study design. 125 cases of 2 to 18 years aged CP children attending pediatrics neurology unit and 125 controls from OPD, department of pediatrics were selected. Information regarding age, gender, caste, religion, place of birth, types of deliveries was collected using an interview schedule form for the study. Result: Most children in both groups were aged 2-4 years (61.6%) and male (65.6%). A significant proportion of CP cases (69.6%) resided in rural areas, compared to 43.2% of controls (p<0.001). Caste wise, OBC representation was higher among cases (64.0%) than controls (34.4%) (p<0.001). While no significant differences were found in place of birth, delivery mode, or gestational age, a notable difference emerged in crying at birth- 84.8% of CP cases did not cry at birth versus 50.4% of controls (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study the role of socio-demographic disparities and perinatal factors, especially preterm birth and birth asphyxia, ethology of CP. Improved the prenatal monitoring, and early interventions are important in reducing the burden of cerebral palsy among vulnerable population. Key words: Cerebral Palsy, Prevalence, India