Browsing by Author "Karumuna, Josephat M. S."

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    Clinical study of cerebral palsy in Dar es Salaam
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1987) Karumuna, Josephat M. S.
    Between December, 1985 to July, 1986 a clinical study of cerebral palsy was done on patients admitted in general paediatric wards or those attending paediatric outpatient department of Muhimbili Medical Centre. The objectives of the study were to deliniate aetiological factors, to determine the clinical patterns and their frequency and to determine the associated handicaps and their frequency. During this period 100 patients with cerebral palsy were seen. Age of these patients ranged from 4-120 months. 68 patients were children of age below 4 years. There were 56 boys and 44 girls (M:F sex ratio 1.3). The commonest clinical pattern was spasticity found in 76 (76 %) patients and the variety encountered most was tetraplegia found in 36 patients.Other clinical patterns were hypotonia 10 patients, athetosis 9 patients and mixed type in 5 (5%) patients. Aetiological factors were mainly perinatal 53 patients followed by postnatal in 37 patients. Only 10 patients were of prenatal category. Asphyxia neonatorum was considered causative in 20 patients this was followed by convulsions of unknown origin in 19 patients. Low birth weight and meningitis each accounted for 13% of the total. Birth trauma, hyperbilirubinemia, cerebral malaria, congenital rubella, congenital microcephally, infantile hemiplegia, encephalitis, post DPT vaccine and congenital hydrocephalus were also causative. Of the associated handicaps analysed convulsions were evident in 35 patients. Other handicaps encountered included deafness, speech disorders blindness behavioural disorders and strabismus. In most cases cerebral palsy was preventable.