File:Graph- Apgar score and cerebral palsy.jpg

Graph- Apgar score and cerebral palsy

Proportions diagnosed with cerebral palsy according to Apgar score in children with birth weight of less than 1500 g, 1500-2499 g, and 2500 g or more.

Links: Apgar test

The Medical Birth Registry of Norway was used to identify all babies born between 1986 and 1995. These data were linked to the Norwegian Registry of Cerebral Palsy in Children born 1986-95, which was established on the basis of discharge diagnoses at all paediatric departments in Norway.

"Low Apgar score was strongly associated with cerebral palsy. This association was high in children with normal birth weight and modest in children with low birth weight. The strength of the association differed between subgroups of spastic cerebral palsy. Given that Apgar score is a measure of vitality shortly after birth, our findings suggest that the causes of cerebral palsy are closely linked to factors that reduce infant vitality."

Reference

Association of cerebral palsy with Apgar score in low and normal birthweight infants: population based cohort study. Lie KK, Grøholt EK, Eskild A. BMJ. 2010 Oct 6;341:c4990. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c4990. PMID20929920 | BMJ

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