title: Risk factors and types of cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the risk factors and associated types of cerebral palsy in a squatter settlement of Karachi.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pilot cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi during 2010 and 2011. Data was collected through an interviewed questionnaire from the mothers of cerebral palsy victims children from a population of 6000. Sample sizes of 20 pre-diagnosed victims were selected through snowball sampling. SPSS 20 was used for statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 20 children was 8.7 +/- 6.4 years. Of them, 16 (80%) were males and 4 (20%) were females. Major risk factors identified were; home and assisted delivery 5 (75%), consanguinity 10 (50%), infections 8 (40%) and lack of antenatal care 6 (30%). Out of 20 cases, 15 (75%) had spastic type of cerebral palsy, which was further classified as diplegia 7 (35%), quadriplegia 6 (30%) and hemiplegia 2 (10%). Mixed and dystonic types were found in 3 (15%) and 2 (10%) children respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important risk factors identified were home delivery, consanguinity and infections during pregnancy. Spastic type of cerebral palsy was the most common type in the study population.
authors.affiliation: Ziauddin Medical University, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan. areeb.sohail@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Areeb Sohail
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bangash
authors.affiliation: Ziauddin Medical University, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Zaid
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hanafi
authors.affiliation: Ziauddin Medical University, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rabia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Ziauddin Medical University, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nosheen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zehra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003241:Consanguinity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014505:Urban Population