Mortality in cerebral palsy (CP): the importance of the cause of CP on the manner of death

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive motor deficit present or sustained in the perinatal period. We reviewed the files of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York for the 1997-2001 interval seeking those with any mention of cerebral palsy. There were 26 such cases, including 18 natural deaths, three accidents, two homicides, two therapeutic complications, and one death classified as undetermined. Proper reporting and careful investigation of these deaths is required for accurate certification of cause and manner of death, as well as for adequate tracking of these deaths for public health purposes.