Cerebral Palsy: An Overview.

Cerebral palsy, which occurs in two to three out of 1,000 live births, has multiple etiologies resulting in brain injury that affects movement, posture, and balance. The movement disorders associated with cerebral palsy are categorized as spasticity, dyskinesia, ataxia, or mixed/other. Spasticity is the most common movement disorder, occurring in 80% of children with cerebral palsy. Movement disorders of cerebral palsy can result in secondary problems, including hip pain or dislocation, balance problems, hand dysfunction, and equinus deformity. Diagnosis of cerebral palsy is primarily clinical, but magnetic resonance imaging can be helpful to confirm brain injury if there is no clear cause for the patient's symptoms. Once cerebral palsy has been diagnosed, an instrument such as the Gross Motor Function Classification System can be used to evaluate severity and treatment response. Treatments for the movement disorders associated with cerebral palsy include intramuscular onabotulinumtoxinA, systemic and intrathecal muscle relaxants, selective dorsal rhizotomy, and physical and occupational therapies. Patients with cerebral palsy often also experience problems unrelated to movement that need to be managed into adulthood, including cognitive dysfunction, seizures, pressure ulcers, osteoporosis, behavioral or emotional problems, and speech and hearing impairment.

Developmental Delay: When and How to Screen.

An estimated 15% of children in the United States have at least one developmental delay, yet less than one-fifth of those children receive early intervention services before three years of age. Many barriers exist to implementing initial screening and referral, but screening tools can be easily incorporated into the workflow of the primary care practice with preparation. The use of a validated screening tool at regular, repeated intervals, in addition to physician surveillance at well-child visits, may improve early detection. Early intervention is effective in high-risk children and associated with improvements in cognitive and academic performance. Parent-completed tools are preferable to directly administered tools in the primary care setting because of time constraints. The most extensively evaluated parentcompleted tools are the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status. Family physicians should be familiar with currently available screening tools and the limitations and strengths of these tools. Additional evaluations and referrals are recommended if screening suggests developmental delays are present.