Spanish Title: Caracterización de la discapacidad de una muestra de niños con Parálisis Cerebral de Bucaramanga y su area metropolitana, Colombia

Abstract

Objective: To determine the sociodemographic, neonatal history, disability status, and level of gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy 2-12 years of Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with a sample of 60 participants selected for convenience. The level of gross motor function was assessed using the classification system of the gross motor function (GMFCS). The analysis calculated absolute and relative frequencies.
Results: The largest age group was between 6 and 12 years 61.6%, 50% were female and the majority belonged to the socioeconomic stratum 2 (43.3%), representing the lower class stratification as in Colombia; 56, 7% of children lived with both parents, found that 55% of households had >1 y <2 Current legal minimum monthly wage and the health system was the most common tax (65%). According to the classification with GMFCS, we found that 38.3% of children were at level V, 25.0% in Level I, Level IV 16.7%, 13.3% in level III and level II 6.7%. Body structures most affected were the central nervous system with 78.3%, followed by deficiencies in the structures for movement (upper and lower limbs) with 20.0%.
Conclusions: It is found that the severity of gross motor function is directly related to functional abilities, the need for elements of support and caregiver.

Keywords: Child, cerebral palsy, motion, disabled children.