Postnatal cerebral infection leading to hemiplegic cerebral palsy: clinical description of 13 children in Stockholm, Sweden.

Purpose: The aim of this research was to estimate the prevalence of postnatal cerebral infection leading to hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) in Stockholm County and to describe the motor impairments, associated impairments and involvement of the non hemiplegic side.

Method: Children with hemiplegic CP subsequent to a cerebral infection in the perinatal period up to the age of seven years were identified. The assessments of child psychologists and speech therapists and EEG-studies, CT-scan or MRI of the brain were extracted from the children's files. Thirteen children, with a mean age of 9.5 years, participated. The prevalence was 0.03/1000.

Results: Nine children suffered from mental retardation, seven took antiepileptic drugs and six had bilateral radiological anomalies. The non-hemiplegic side was involved in six of the children.

Conclusion: Cerebral infection at an early age can cause hemiplegic CP with a high frequency of associated impairments and with involvement of the non-hemiplegic side. The infectious origin probably gives rise to a more widespread brain injury.