Preterm children with suspected cerebral palsy at 19 months corrected age in the Canadian neonatal follow-up network

Abstract Background The ability to definitively diagnose cerebral palsy (CP) at 18–24 months is unknown. Aims To describe very preterm children who, at 19 months, have suspected CP defined as neither having a definitive diagnosis of CP nor no CP and compare them with children with and without CP. Study design and methods Longitudinal national cohort study of births Results Of 3086 survivors, 2280 had complete 19-month corrected age (CA) and 1261 had 3-year CA data. Suspected CP (3.6%), CP (6.4%) and no CP (90%) groups differed ( p p Conclusions CP incidence varied from 6.4% to 10% with exclusion or inclusion of children with suspected CP. Children with suspected CP have characteristics mostly midway between those with and without CP and developmental concerns persist to 3 years and require surveillance beyond 19 months.