Prevalence and trends for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living with cerebral palsy: A birds-eye view

AimTo provide a birds-eye view of the trends of cerebral palsy (CP) for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young adults. MethodData were obtained for this population-based observational study from the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (ACPR), birth years 1995 to 2014. The Indigenous status of children was classified by maternal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or non-Indigenous status. Descriptive statistics were calculated for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Prenatal/perinatal and post-neonatal birth prevalence was calculated per 1000 live births and per 10 000 live births respectively, and Poisson regression used to assess trends. ResultsData from the ACPR were available for 514 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals with CP. Most children could walk independently (56%) and lived in urban or regional areas (72%). One in five children lived in socioeconomically disadvantaged remote/very remote areas. The birth prevalence of prenatal/perinatal CP declined after the mid-2000s from a high of 4.8 (95% confidence interval 3.2-7.0) to 1.9 per 1000 live births (95% confidence interval 1.1-3.2) (2013-2014), with marked declines observed for term births and teenage mothers. InterpretationThe birth prevalence of CP in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia declined between the mid-2000s and 2013 to 2014. This birds-eye view provides key stakeholders with new knowledge to advocate for sustainable funding for accessible, culturally safe, antenatal and CP services.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the trends of cerebral palsy (CP) for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young adults. Data was collected from the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (ACPR) for individuals born between 1995 and 2014. The study showed a decline in the birth prevalence of CP in this population between the mid-2000s and 2013-2014. This information can be used to advocate for funding for accessible, culturally safe, antenatal and CP services.