A prospective cohort study of auditory and visual comorbidities in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders involving movement, posture, and motor function with the uniqueness of being an outcome of a static insult and ever-changing clinical course. Early identification and rehabilitation of associated morbidities are the keys to comprehensive management. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in western India, from January 2016 to June 2017, to determine the prevalence of ocular and hearing morbidity in children with CP. All children presenting with developmental delay and diagnosed as a case of CP were serially recruited in the study. Data were collected by using a predesigned pro forma. Results: The study included 80 children with CP. Male-to-female sex ratio of 2.08:1 was observed. The prevalence of visual morbidity was 67.5%, with the most common morbidity being squint followed by refractive error and nystagmus. Auditory morbidity was present in 22.5% of cases with the predominant type being sensorineural hearing loss. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of prompt identification of auditory and visual morbidities in these children, as early intervention is the key to management and is vital for optimal speech, vision, developmental, and neurocognitive outcomes in these cases.