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Risk factors of undernutrition in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Jen-Wen Hung1, Te-Jui Hsu, Pi-Chuan Wu

  • 1Department of Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaoshiung, Taiwan, R.O.C. hungjw@yahoo.com.tw

Chang Gung Medical Journal
|September 6, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Undernutrition affects 41.3% of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Risk factors include being female, feeding difficulties, and poor communication, necessitating early nutritional assessment and intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science
  • Developmental Disabilities

Background:

  • Spastic cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts child development.
  • Nutritional status is crucial for growth and functional capacity in children with CP.
  • Identifying undernutrition risk factors in spastic CP is essential for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nutritional status of children with spastic cerebral palsy.
  • To identify risk factors associated with undernutrition in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Anthropometric assessments (weight, length, knee height) were conducted on 75 children with spastic CP (ages 5 months to 10 years).
  • Functional, medical, and feeding statuses were recorded.
  • Multivariate analysis was used to determine factors influencing nutritional status.

Main Results:

  • 41.3% of children exhibited undernutrition (below 10th percentile).
  • Undernutrition was significantly linked to being female (p=0.006), feeding problems (p=0.018), shorter meal duration (p=0.022), and poor communication (p=0.001).
  • Only 4% of children were classified as overnourished.

Conclusions:

  • Periodic anthropometric assessments are recommended for early identification of nutritional risks in children with CP.
  • Targeted nutritional management is crucial for undernourished children to enhance growth and functional outcomes.
  • Addressing identified risk factors can improve the overall health of children with spastic CP.
Abstract

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