[Estimation of the prevalence of cerebral palsy in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León (Spain) using a disabilities register].
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of cerebral palsy in Western countries is estimated to be around 2 cases/1,000 inhabitants. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cerebral palsy in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León and to assess potential differences among the nine provinces of this region.


METHODS
The number of patients with CP in 1999, separated by provinces and by age groups, was obtained from the Community Sectorial Program for Persons with Disabilities. These data originally came from handicap evaluations carried out in each base center. Prevalences were calculated using population data from the National Institute of Statistics.


RESULTS
A total of 335 patients aged 0-13 years were registered as having a diagnosis of cerebral palsy in 1999. The prevalence of cerebral palsy was 1.05 cases/1,000 inhabitants aged 0-13 years. Statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence of cerebral palsy among provinces (p < 0.0001). The highest prevalence was found in Salamanca, with 1.87 cases/1,000 inhabitants, while the lowest prevalence was found in Segovia, with 0.33 cases/ 1,000 inhabitants.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of cerebral palsy in childhood in Castilla y León was lower than that reported in western countries. Substantial differences were found among provinces. The prevalence of cerebral palsy is probably underreported in some provinces. These differences could be due to a disparity in diagnostic criteria, especially in young children.
Cancho Candela
R
R
Servicio de Pediatría, Complejo Hospitalario de Palencia, España. rcancho@usuarios.retecal.es
Fernández Alonso
J E
JE
Lanza Fernández
E
E
Lozano Domínguez
M A
MA
Andrés de Llano
J M
JM
Folgado Toranzo
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology