Clinical Risk > Volume 14, Number 4 > Pp. 130-132

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Life expectancy

Life expectancy estimation in cerebral palsy – a paediatrician's approach

Richard Miles

Email: Richard.miles{at}doctors.org.uk

Paediatricians involved in providing reports for cerebral palsy litigation are often asked to give an opinion on life expectancy and this article outlines the approach taken by one paediatrician.

The article describes how statistical data is available, particulary from America, to guide the clinician and the Court. This data acts as the starting point. The two factors that affect life expectancy most of all in the data are mobility and feeding ability, hence tables and survival curves are provided within the publications cited so that additional years of survival can be assessed for individuals in the different functional groups. The article describes how it is the clinicians' role to assess the individual's functional capabilities and any relevant clinical issues and ‘interpret’ the data accordingly.

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