Cerebral palsy rate dropping in Australia

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-03-09 16:01

Australia; NSW; VIC; QLD; SA; WA

The number of Australian kids born with cerebral palsy in Australia is dropping, with data showing rates have fallen from 1.8 per 1,000 live births in 1995–96 to 1.2 per 1,000 live births in 2013-14. Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder that results from damage to the developing brain in the area that controls muscle tone. The authors say the data shows the cumulative impact of interventions that support mothers' and babies' well-being.

Media release

From: Wiley

Cerebral palsy rates are dropping in Australia

New research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology indicates that fewer babies in Australia are being born with cerebral palsy, a lifelong disorder of movement and posture resulting from injury or maldevelopment of the developing brain.

According to Australian Cerebral Palsy Register data on singleton births from 1995 to 2014, the prevalence of cerebral palsy at or around the time of birth declined from 1.8 per 1,000 live births in 1995–96 to 1.2 per 1,000 live births in 201314. Declines occurred across all gestational ages, with the largest decline observed amongst children born < 28 weeks’ gestation. The prevalence of moderate-severe disability amongst children with cerebral palsy also declined for children born <28 and ≥37 weeks.

“These findings are encouraging and importantly show the cumulative impact of interventions that support maternal and perinatal well-being” said lead author Hayley Smithers-Sheedy, PhD, of The University of Sydney.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research Wiley, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), Children's Hospital at Westmead, Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Department of Health Western Australia,CPL –Choice, Passion, Life

Funder: The Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and Australian CP Registers are funded by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation. The Northern Territory CP Register is funded by Women, Children and Youth, Royal Darwin Hospital. The Queensland CP Register is funded by Choice, Passion, Life. The South Australian CP Register is funded by the Women's and Children's Health Network with additional support provided by Novita. The Tasmanian CP Register is supported by St Giles and the Tasmanian Department of Health. The Victorian CP Register received funding from the Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Medical Research Trust, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, and the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, and infrastructure support was provided by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. The Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies -Cerebral Palsy is funded by Department of Health Western Australia. HSS received salary support through a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Early Career Fellowship (1144566) and Australasian Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials Network.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.