Behavioural and emotional symptoms of preschool children with cerebral palsy: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe behavioural and emotional symptoms among Icelandic preschool children with cerebral palsy (CP).


METHODS
Children with congenital CP, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist/1½-5 (CBCL/1½-5) and Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), were enrolled in the study. A comparison group was recruited from the general population. Thirty-six children (53% males) with CP were assessed at a mean age of 4 years 11 months (SD 5 mo, range 4-6 y); 26 (72%) had bilateral distribution of symptoms and 32 (89%) had spastic CP. Thirty (83%) were at Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I or II and six at levels III or IV. For comparison, 110 (43% males) and 120 (48% males) children were assessed with the CBCL/1½-5 and the C-TRF respectively, at a mean age of 4 years 6 months (SD 6 mo, range 4-6 y).


RESULTS
Sixteen children (48%) with CP had high scores on total problems scale of the CBCL/1½-5 and 20 (65%) on the C-TRF compared with 18% of the comparison group, both on the CBCL/1½-5 and the C-TRF (p<0.001). Children with CP had higher scores on all subscales of the CBCL/1½-5 and the C-TRF, except somatic complaints. Attention difficulties, withdrawn, aggressive behaviour, and anxious/depressed symptoms were most pronounced among children with CP.


CONCLUSIONS
A large proportion of preschool children with CP have substantial behavioural and emotional difficulties, which need to be addressed in their treatment.
Sigurdardottir
Solveig
S
State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre, Kopavogur, Iceland. solveig@greining.is
Indredavik
Marit S
MS
Eiriksdottir
Auður
A
Einarsdottir
Katrín
K
Gudmundsson
Halldór S
HS
Vik
Torstein
T
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018672:Community Health Planning; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric