title: Pain in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a population-based registry study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed prevalence and location of pain in a total population of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) based on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), age and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was based on the last assessment of children aged 1-14 years in the combined Swedish follow-up programme and national quality register programme for CP. All were born 2001-2012 and reported to the registry in 2013-2014. Logistic regression was used to regress age, gender and the GMFCS level on the presence of pain. We also assessed pain sites among GMFCS groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 2777 children (57% boys) at a median age of 7 years; 32.4% reported pain, with significantly more girls than boys experiencing pain and significantly more children at GMFCS levels III and V than GMFCS I. Pain frequency increased with age and differences among GMFCS levels were found in the lower extremities and abdomen. Pain in the abdomen and hips was most frequent at GMFCS V, knee pain at level III and foot pain at level I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that although a lower prevalence than in many other studies, pain constituted a significant problem in children and adolescents with CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9430-263X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alriksson-Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hägglund
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Adolescents; Cerebral palsy; Children; Pain; Prevalence