A Comprehensive Systematic Review of The Relationship Between Head Ultrasound Findings and the Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Premature Infants

Introduction: Prematurity remains a leading cause of long-term neurodevelopmental disability, with cerebral palsy (CP) being one of the most severe motor outcomes. Cranial ultrasound (cUS) is a primary, non-invasive neuroimaging tool in the neonatal intensive care unit for detecting brain injuries prevalent in preterm infants, such as intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Establishing the strength and consistency of the relationship between specific cUS findings and subsequent CP risk is critical for prognosis, early intervention, and guiding clinical management (Romero-Guzman & López-Muñoz, 2017; O’Shea, 2016). Methods: This systematic review synthesized evidence from 80 studies, including cohort studies, case-control studies, and meta-analyses. The population comprised premature infants (