2. Prevalence and incidence of cerebral palsy

The estimated prevalence of CP is approximately 2 per 1000 children. The risk is even higher in preterm infants with low birth weight [5, 6].

The advances in prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal pediatric care significantly influenced the reported incidence and prevalence of CP. The most common causes of CP have varied over time and between geographical locations. While the developed world faces predominantly prematurity and extremely low-birth-weight-related morbidities, the developing countries are still faced with prenatal rubella, perinatal asphyxia, and postnatal hyperbilirubinemia.

From the 1960s to 1980s, the rate of CP and the extent of disability among preterm infants increased as survival improved for the most immature [7]. This trend reversed later, most likely because of improvements in perinatal care [8].
