Cerebral Palsy in Eastern Denmark 1965-1974. I. Decreased Frequency of Congenital Cases. Cerebral Palsy Registry of Denmark Report No. VII

Abstract

The Cerebral Palsy Registry of Denmark has in continuation of earlier investigations of changes in frequency of congenital cerebral palsy cases during the years 1950-1969 carried out a new revised investigation forward to the year 1974. The patient material from 1965 to 1974 comprises 788 cases.

The area covered comprises Danish counties east of the Little Belt or a little more than half the total population i.e. 2.5 million.

Congenital cerebral palsy declined in frequency in Denmark from 2.6 % of live borns in the early 1950'ies to 2.2 % in the late 1960'ies. Hereafter there is a further decline to 1.7 % in the early 1970'ies.

The most important main groups comprising spastic, dyskinetic, and atactic cases all show declining frequencies separately forward to mid-1970'ies.

They did not, however, decline to the same extent.

The spastic group comprised 76.4 % of congenital cases in the 1960'ies, which was unchanged compared to several earlier materials.

In the 1970'ies the spastic cases comprise 85.2% of all cases.

Special investigations of the causes and possible methods of treatment of this group must, therefore, have high priority.

The dyskinetic group shows a 64 % decline in frequency from the 1960'ies to the 1970'ies probably because of better treatment of hypoxia and icterus. Icterus provoked athetosis virtually disappeared in the 1970'ies. Mixed spasticity and athetosis, however, especially as the type athetotic quadriplegia did not decline in frequency.

If further declining frequencies of congenital cerebral palsies shall be achieved an increasing number of births must be confined to obstetric departments in close connection to paediatric departments with neonatal service.

Further there is a special need for investigations of causes of and possibilities of treatment of greater rest groups such as spastic hemiplegia, spastic quadriplegia and athetotic quadriplegia, and spastic para-diplegia, which still is a group with a considerable number of cases.

Key words

Cerebral palsy