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Influence of the environment on performance of gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy
1Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. bukolafatudimu@yahoo.com
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) demonstrate improved gross motor function at home compared to clinical settings. This highlights the environmental impact on assessing motor skills in pediatric CP patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) management typically occurs in clinical settings.
- Children with CP experience diverse daily environments beyond the clinic.
- Environmental context may influence motor function assessment in pediatric CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of environmental settings on motor function in children with CP.
- To compare motor function assessments between hospital/clinic and home environments.
- To understand how the natural environment affects gross motor skills in pediatric CP.
Main Methods:
- 107 children with CP (ages 1-6 years) participated.
- Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) assessed motor function.
- Assessments conducted monthly for 8 months in clinic and home settings.
Main Results:
- Home-based GMFM scores were significantly higher than clinic-based scores.
- This pattern held true across all GMFM sub-domains.
- Children with CP consistently performed better in their home environment.
Conclusions:
- The home environment facilitates better gross motor function in children with CP.
- Environmental context is a critical factor in evaluating motor development in pediatric CP.
- Future interventions should consider the impact of the child's natural environment.
Abstract:
Assessment and physiotherapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP) are conventionally carried out in the hospital or clinic setting. However, the daily lives of these children include a variety of environmental settings in addition to the clinical setting. The objective of this study was therefore to explore the possible influence of the environment on motor function in children with CP. Purposively selected children with CP (n=107), ages 1 and 6 years with mean age of 2.1 years (SD 1.10 yrs), were involved in this study. The motor function of each child was assessed in the hospital and at their homes within a one-week interval, using the gross motor function measure (GMFM); this was done at the baseline and on a monthly basis for eight consecutive months. The paired t-test rank was computed to compare the overall GMFM score and each of the sub-domain scores measured in the clinic and at home. GMFM scores measured at home were significantly higher than those measured in the clinic and this pattern was also obtained for the sub-domains throughout the study period, suggesting that children performed gross motor functions better at their homes than in the clinic.
