Article

Japan lacks a population-based registration system for cerebral palsy (CP),
therefore the nationwide prevalence of CP is unknown. Our aim was to estimate the
number of children with CP using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims
and Specific Health Checkups of Japan, which has been recently developed by the
government. METHOD: Study participants were children and adolescents aged below
20 years, who had been assigned CP diagnosis codes more than once in claims
issued between June 2012 and May 2013 from all health insurance schemes in Japan,
except for Social Welfare and Elderly Health Insurance. RESULTS: The number of
participants with diagnosed CP was 44 381. The number of males with CP (25 237)
was greater than the number of females (19 144). Peak CP prevalence per 1000
population was 2.39 at age 4 years, and this gradually declined with age. The
prevalence of CP per 1000 population was 2.27 at age 5 to 9 years. The numbers of
inpatients and outpatients with CP were 9126 (20.6%) and 35 255 (79.4%)
respectively. INTERPRETATION: Our estimation of CP prevalence per 1000 population
at age 5 to 9 years lay in the higher range of figures from previous studies in
Japan, and was close to figures reported by European countries.
CI - (c) 2016 Mac Keith Press.
- Japon

Langue : ANGLAIS