What constitutes cerebral palsy in the twenty‐first century?

<jats:sec><jats:title>Aim</jats:title><jats:p>Determining inclusion/exclusion criteria for cerebral palsy (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content>) surveillance is challenging. The aims of this paper were to (1) define inclusion/exclusion criteria that have been adopted uniformly by surveillance programmes and identify where consensus is still elusive, and (2) provide an updated list of the consensus concerning <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> inclusion/exclusion when a syndrome/disorder is diagnosed.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method</jats:title><jats:p>Data were drawn from an international survey of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> registers, the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>ew <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>outh <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">W</jats:styled-content>ales <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> Register (1993–2003), the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">W</jats:styled-content>estern <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>ustralian <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP R</jats:styled-content>egister (1975–2008), and the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>urveillance of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>urope (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SCPE</jats:styled-content>; 1976–1998). An expert panel used a consensus building technique, which utilized the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SCPE</jats:styled-content> ‘decision tree’ and the original ‘<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">W</jats:styled-content>hat constitutes cerebral palsy?’ paper as frameworks.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> surveillance programmes agree on key clinical criteria pertaining to the type, severity, and origin of motor disorder in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content>. Further work is warranted to reach agreement for (1) minimum age of survival and maximum age of postneonatal brain injury, and (2) metabolic disorders with highly variable clinical courses/responses to treatment. One hundred and ninety‐seven syndromes/disorders were reviewed and advice on their inclusion/exclusion is provided.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Interpretation</jats:title><jats:p>What constitutes <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content> will continue to evolve as diagnostics improve. Surveillance programmes throughout the world are committed to addressing their differences regarding inclusion/exclusion criteria for the umbrella term <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CP</jats:styled-content>.</jats:p></jats:sec>