Caractéristiques cliniques, épidémiologiques et facteurs associés aux fonctions motrices globales chez les enfants atteints de paralysie cérébrale au Nord-ouest du Maroc

The objective is to study the epidemiological and clinical profile and determine the factors associated with gross motor function in cerebral palsy patients. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study with prospective collection of patients (between 0–16 years old) who were diagnosed as cerebral palsy and referred for possible treatment at the reception and rehabilitation center for maladjusted children during the period. from July 01, 2021 to 01 June, 2022. Patients with progressive encephalopathy and those with genetic neurological pathology were excluded. A total of 117 children meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited. The male sex was the most represented with a sex ratio of 1.60. The mean age at diagnosis was 26.9 (± 12.46) months or 2.24 years. The aetiologies found were mainly perinatal with a frequency of 67%, mainly dominated by prematurity. Spastic cases were the most dominant (71.4%), topographically, (73.2%) of our population was quadriplegic, on the GMFCS, children classified as grade IV and V tend to represent two thirds of our population. population. CT abnormalities were found in 83.8 % of patients who were able to perform a brain scan. In total, 63.6 % of patients presented with seizures as an associated disorder. The main aetiologies of cerebral palsy are perinatal causes mainly dominated by prematurity, neonatal asphyxia and sequelae of kernicterus, health programs should focus on areas aimed at improving prevention, care and education of the various stakeholders.