title: Handedness in diplegic cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the frequency of left-handedness is high in children with spastic cerebral diplegia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and 444 age- and gender-matched controls were studied. The handedness of each child was assigned on the basis of responses to questions on the hand preference for writing and drawing, feeding and throwing a ball. The data were analysed by conditional logistic regression and computing the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for left handedness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 111 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, 45 were left-handed, while 13 of 444 normal children were left-handed. The odds ratio for left-handedness in children with diplegic cerebral palsy as compared to normal children was 27.33 (95% CI = 11.63, 64.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that left-handedness is very frequently encountered in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
authors: Paediatric Orthopaedic Service, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, India.
authors: Ki Rui
authors: KR
authors: Lin
authors: Vasanthi
authors: V
authors: Prabhu
authors: Hitesh
authors: H
authors: Shah
authors: Asha
authors: A
authors: Kamath
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Joseph
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male