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Prevalence and Pattern of Feeding Problems and Relationship to Motor Function Severity in Children with Cerebral
R I Chidomere1, I K Ukpabi1, N K Chukwudi1
1Department of Paediatrics, FMC, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.
Insights
Feeding problems affect nearly 40% of children with cerebral palsy (CP), increasing with functional severity but not impacting nutritional status. Early evaluation is crucial to prevent complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Feeding problems are prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP), impacting nutritional intake and status.
- Understanding the scope and correlates of these feeding issues is essential for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and types of feeding problems in children with CP.
- To investigate the association between feeding problems, functional severity (using GMFCS), and nutritional status.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 169 children (1-17 years) with CP.
- Functional severity assessed using Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
- Nutritional status evaluated based on WHO Child Growth Standards.
Main Results:
- Feeding problems were identified in 39.1% of children with CP.
- Common issues include spitting food (57.6%), prolonged feeding time (45.5%), and choking (16.7%).
- Feeding problems significantly correlated with functional severity (p < 0.001), increasing with higher GMFCS levels; 100% of GMFCS Level V children had feeding problems. No significant association was found between feeding problems and nutritional status (p = 0.38).
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of feeding problems in children with CP is 39.1%.
- Feeding problems are strongly associated with functional severity but not nutritional status.
- Routine screening for feeding problems in children with CP is recommended to mitigate potential complications.
Background:
Reports show that feeding problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP) significantly reduce nutritional intake and affect their nutritional status.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence and types of feeding problems and its association with functional severity and nutritional status in children with cerebral palsy.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study involved 169 children with CP aged 1 - 17 years seen at the Neurology clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. Gross motor skills were described using Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).Nutritional status was determined and classified based on WHO Child Growth Standards. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.
Results:
Feeding problem was seen in 39.1% of the subjects, with spitting out food (57.6%), prolonged feeding time (45.5%) and choking (16.7%) being the most common types. Malnutrition occurred in 37.3% of patients. Feeding problems were significantly associated with functional severity (χ2 = 52.06 and p < 0.001) and proportion of feeding problems increased with increasing functional severity. All the subjects with functional severity level V (100%) had feeding problems. There was no statistically significant association between nutritional status and feeding problems (χ2 = 0.77 and p = 0.38), although the proportion of feeding problems was highest (44.3%) in the underweight subjects.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of feeding problem in children with CP is 39.1%. There was no association between feeding problems and nutritional status. Feeding problem was however significantly associated with functional severity. Therefore there is need for routine evaluation for feeding problems in children with CP to prevent complications.
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