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Anthropometric Parameters of Nutritional Status in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Melika Melunovic1, Feriha Hadzagic-Catibusic2, Vildan Bilalovic3
1Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Pediatric Clinic 1, Discipline for the child's health, Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Insights
Malnutrition is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP), affecting nearly half of those studied. Severe motor impairment significantly increases malnutrition risk, highlighting the need for early nutritional intervention in CP patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) patients often suffer from malnutrition alongside neurological deficits.
- Optimal nutrition is critical for growth and development, especially in children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the nutritional status of pediatric patients with CP.
- To identify the causes of malnutrition in this population.
Main Methods:
- Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, BMI, etc.) were taken for 80 CP patients.
- CP severity was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
- Nutritional parameters were compared to healthy children and correlated with motor impairment, feeding issues, and meal duration.
Main Results:
- Nearly half (47.5%) of the CP patients were malnourished, with 63% of those having severe motor impairment.
- 11.3% of patients were classified as obese.
- Oromotor dysfunction and other factors significantly impacted nutritional status.
Conclusions:
- Severely disabled CP patients face a high risk of severe malnutrition.
- Early detection and intervention are crucial for improving growth, development, and overall health in malnourished CP patients.
Introduction:
Patients with cerebral palsy (CP), besides the basic neurological damage, are also often undernourished. Adequate nutrition for children is very important during the period of intensive growth and development, which is of particular importance in patients with CP.
Goal:
To evaluate the nutritional status of patients with CP who are treated at the Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University and causes of malnutrition in these patients.
Materials And Methods:
Eighty patients with CP underwent anthropometric assessment (body weight, body height, body mass index, head circumference, subscapular skinfold thickness, triceps skinfold thickness and mid upper arm muscle circumference). Severity of CP was classified based on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). We compared the anthropometric parameters of our patients with normal values of healthy children, as well as with degree of motor impairment, oromotor dysfunction, feeding assistance, length of meals and daily feeding time.
Results:
There were significant differences in all monitored parameters in relation to normal values, with 38 (47.5%) malnourished patients in the total group, out of which 29 (63.0%) with severe motor impairment and with 9 (11.3%) obese patients in the total group. The presence of oromotor dysfunction and other monitored parameters had a significant impact on the nutritional status of these patients.
Conclusion:
In severely disabled patients with CP there is a risk of profound malnutrition. Early identification and treatment of these patients is very important for their growth, development and health.
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