[Preliminary study: Lower urinary tract dysfunction and anorectal disorders in children with cerebral palsy]

Describe lower urinary tract dysfunction and anorectal disorders to children with cerebral palsy (CP), indicating their impact on quality of life.

This was a prospective single-center study. A data collection was: type of PC, Gross Motor Function-Classification System (GMF-CS), mainstream education or not, Functional Independence Measure in children (MIF-kid), standardized vesicosphincteric symptoms and quality of life questionnaires (specific issue of impact sphincter dysfunction and generic scale Kidscreen-52).

Between January and March 2013, 19 children aged 5-17 years were included, including 16 into mainstream schooling. Of the 19, 16 had bladder and sphincter disorders: 14 urinary incontinence, 3 nycturies, 6 dysuria, 12 urgenturies, no urinary infection. Of the 14 urinary incontinence, 13 were in school. Of the 16 children enrolled, 5 were daytime fecal incontinence and 2 nocturnal fecal incontinence. Functional scores (GMF-CS and MIF-kid) children urinary incontinence were lower than those of children urinary continents (P=0.04 and 0.0007). Ten children had an impact of these disorders on quality of life. All were enrolled, eight (80%) in the mainstream.

The bladder and sphincter disorders were common in children with CP. They led to an impact on quality of life in more than half of the children studied, mostly educated in mainstream schools.