[Caregiver burden in patients with moderate-severe cerebral palsy. The influence of nutritional status]

Patients with moderate-severe cerebral palsy require the support of their caregivers to carry out the activities of daily living (ADLs).

To describe the comorbidities, need for care in children with cerebral palsy and to analyse the influence of the degree of motor involvement, nutritional status and other neurological disorders.

Cross-sectional and observational study. Patients with cerebral palsy degrees III-IV-V according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) have been studied. A record of comorbidities has been made and body composition has been studied using anthropometry and bioimpedance. In addition, a caregiver burden survey on ADLs has been carried out (10 items on the different actions: hygiene, clothing, transfers, sleeping and feeding). Which variables have the greatest influence on the perception of difficulty in performing ADLs have been studied.

A total of 69 patients (50.7% women, mean age 10.46 ± 0.4 years) were analysed, with GMFCS grades: grade III 36.2% (N=25), grade IV 29.0% (N=20), grade V 34.8% (N=24). A relationship was found between the caregiver burden score and GMFCS grade (P=0.003) and intellectual disability (P<0.001). However, regardless of the degree of GMFCS and intellectual disability, there is greater difficulty in performing ADLs in relation to lower values in weight (Z-score) (P=0.028), fat mass (kg) (P=0.035), fat mass (%) (P=0.094), body mass index (Z-score) (P=0.086).

In addition to the degree of clinical impairment, nutritional status is a factor that influences the caregiver's difficulty in performing the ADLs in cerebral palsy patients on which we can act to improve this problem.