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Published on: January 11, 2016
Determinants of linear growth in Malaysian children with cerebral palsy
S H Zainah1, L C Ong, A Sofiah
1Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Insights
Malaysian children with cerebral palsy (CP) show poorer linear growth and nutritional status than healthy peers. Early nutritional assessment and intervention are crucial for improving growth in children with CP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts child development, including physical growth and nutritional status.
- Understanding growth patterns and associated factors in children with CP is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare linear growth and nutritional parameters in Malaysian children with CP against controls.
- To identify nutritional, medical, and sociodemographic factors linked to poor growth in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- Linear growth (upper-arm length) and nutritional parameters (weight, skin-fold thickness, mid-arm circumference) were measured in 101 children with CP and matched controls.
- Caloric intake was assessed via 24-hour recall, and multiple regression analysis identified factors associated with poor growth (UAL z-scores).
Main Results:
- Children with CP exhibited significantly lower mean upper-arm length, weight, mid-arm circumference, and triceps skin-fold thickness compared to controls.
- Factors associated with reduced upper-arm length z-scores included lower weight percentage, tube feeding, and increasing age.
Conclusions:
- A substantial number of Malaysian children with CP suffer from inadequate nutritional status and linear growth.
- Early nutritional assessment and management are recommended to support optimal growth in this vulnerable population.
Objective:
To compare the linear growth and nutritional parameters of a group of Malaysian children with cerebral palsy (CP) against a group of controls, and to determine the nutritional, medical and sociodemographic factors associated with poor growth in children with CP.
Methodology:
The linear growth of 101 children with CP and of their healthy controls matched for age, sex and ethnicity was measured using upper-arm length (UAL). Nutritional parameters of weight, triceps skin-fold thickness and mid-arm circumference were also measured. Total caloric intake was assessed using a 24-h recall of a 3-day food intake and calculated as a percentage of the Recommended Daily Allowance. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine nutritional, medical and sociodemographic factors associated with poor growth (using z-scores of UAL) in children with CP.
Results:
Compared with the controls, children with CP had significantly lower mean UAL measurements (difference between means -1.1, 95% confidence interval -1.65 to - 0.59), weight (difference between means -6.0, 95% CI -7.66 to -4.34), mid-arm circumference (difference between means -1.3, 95% CI -2.06 to -0.56) and triceps skin-fold thickness (difference between means -2.5, 95% CI -3.5 to -1.43). Factors associated with low z-scores of UAL were a lower percentage of median weight (P < 0.001), tube feeding (P < 0.001) and increasing age (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
A large proportion of Malaysian children with CP have poor nutritional status and linear growth. Nutritional assessment and management at an early age might help this group of children achieve adequate growth.
