HIE as a Cause of Cerebral Palsy in Low and High Resource Settings

ICNC2024
Symposia: Understanding Prognosis In Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

HIE as a Cause of Cerebral Palsy in Low and High Resource Settings
Thembi Katangwe

Cerebral palsy (CP) remains the most important cause of motor disability in children globally. Significant differences exist in the CP birth prevalence in Low- and Medium-Income Countries LMICs and High-Income Countries HICs. The low CP prevalence and decline in CP severity in High Income Countries has been attributed to improvement in perinatal health care quality and early CP diagnosis and initiation of therapy. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data estimates, 80% of the world’s disabled population (adults and children) live in LMICs, many in Africa. However, data paucity remains a huge challenge in many of these settings to confirm these estimations. It is also postulated that hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is one of the main drivers of CP in these regions. Therefore, for LMICs to lower CP prevalence, up to date data on CP risk factors is needed so targeted CP preventative strategies may be implemented.

Learning objectives
• CP prevalence in LMICs still is higher than in HICs
• HIE is one of the main drivers of CP in LMICs
• Data paucity on CP risk factors in many of the LMICs hinders the implementation of policy driven CP preventative strategies

Dr Thembi Katangwe, is a Paediatric Neurologist and PhD Candidate at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Other Lectures in this symposium
Headlines, Hopes, and Hardships: Building Prognostic Awareness in Families Affected by HIE
How advanced technologies can inform HIE prognosis: EEG, MRI, and advanced prediction modeling.
HIE prognosis: can we predict using early neurological examination and blood-based biomarkers?