Which information obtained from the mother of a child with cerebral palsy most likely correlates to the diagnosis?

Appeared in: SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

Cerebral palsy (CP) can result from an injury to the developing brain that occurs after birth, known as acquired CP.
Meningitis is a serious infection causing inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
In an infant, this inflammation can lead to permanent brain damage, resulting in the motor impairments characteristic of cerebral palsy.
A history of meningitis at 6 months of age is a direct and significant postnatal event that correlates with a diagnosis of CP.

Option A: Being born post-term (42 weeks) is not considered a primary risk factor for cerebral palsy.
Option C: Physiologic jaundice is a common, mild, and typically harmless condition in newborns.
Option D: Frequent sore throats are common childhood infections and have no established causal link to the brain damage that results in cerebral palsy.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Etiology and Risk Factors of Cerebral Palsy to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a vital role in gathering a comprehensive health history, including prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal events, to help identify potential causes for developmental disorders like CP.
Recognizing key risk factors from the history allows for early referral for diagnostic workup and initiation of early intervention services, which can improve long-term outcomes.
Patient education is crucial. Nurses can help parents understand the potential causes of their child's condition and differentiate between significant medical events and common childhood illnesses.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for the most likely risk factor for cerebral palsy (CP) from the given options.
Recall the definition of CP: a non-progressive motor disorder caused by an injury to the developing brain.
Consider that this brain injury can happen before birth (prenatal), during birth (perinatal), or after birth (postnatal).
Evaluate each option's potential to cause brain injury:
Option A (42 weeks gestation): Remember that prematurity, not post-term birth, is the major gestational age-related risk factor.
Option B (Meningitis): Recognize that meningitis is a direct infection and inflammation of the brain linings, which can cause significant brain damage.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Etiology and Risk Factors of Cerebral Palsy
Stem keywords: cerebral palsy, mother of a child, correlates to the diagnosis
Lead-in keywords: most likely
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 2 p. 1495-1497

E6 Obstetrics Williams p. 12-27

Practise the full SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.