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The function of parents and their children with cerebral palsy

Nancy Murphy1, Deidre A Caplin, Becky J Christian

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, PO Box 581289, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, USA. nancy.murphy@hsc.utah.edu

PM & R : the Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation
|February 22, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parental health and functioning are positively correlated with their child's functioning in cerebral palsy (CP). Supporting parent mental health may improve child outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts children and their families.
  • Understanding the interplay between parent and child functioning is crucial for holistic care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between parent functioning and child functioning in pediatric cerebral palsy.
  • To examine the influence of child impairment severity, parenting stress, parent self-efficacy, and family functioning on these associations.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive correlational cross-sectional survey was conducted.
  • 51 parents/guardians of children with CP (ages 5-18) completed validated questionnaires assessing parent health, child function, CP severity, parenting stress, and family environment.

Main Results:

  • Positive correlations were observed between parent physical health and child physical function (r=0.32).
  • Parent mental health showed positive correlations with child emotional function (r=0.46), psychosocial function (r=0.40), and overall quality of life (r=0.38).
  • Parenting stress and self-efficacy moderated these relationships, particularly after adjusting for CP severity.

Conclusions:

  • Parent functioning, especially mental health, is significantly associated with the functional status of their children with CP.
  • Interventions aimed at improving parent well-being may positively influence child outcomes in cerebral palsy.
  • Further research is needed to establish causality and optimal intervention strategies.
Abstract

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