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Body Composition in Outpatient Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Case-Control Study.
Lawia Szkoda1, Andrzej Szopa1, Ilona Kwiecień-Czerwieniec2
1Department of Physiotherapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
International Journal of General Medicine
|January 31, 2023
Summary
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have lower body mass index (BMI) z-scores and percentiles compared to typically developing peers. This study found that children with CP also exhibit reduced body composition, particularly muscle mass, indicating altered body composition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Clinical nutrition
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) can affect growth and body composition.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for managing health in children with CP.
- Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive tool for assessing body composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare quantitative (BMI z-score, BMI percentile) and qualitative (body composition) differences between children with CP (GMFCS levels I/II) and typically developing (TD) children.
- To investigate if children with CP have lower BMI and reduced muscle mass compared to TD peers.
- To utilize BIA for these assessments.
Main Methods:
- Ninety children with CP (GMFCS I/II, aged 8-16) and ninety TD children were enrolled.
- Height and body composition were measured using BIA.
- Data were analyzed to compare groups.
Main Results:
- Children with CP had significantly lower average height, weight, BMI z-score, and BMI percentile than TD children.
- Body components associated with muscle mass, including fat-free mass (FFM%), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), and predicted muscle mass (PMM), were lower in children with CP.
- These findings confirm the hypothesis of reduced muscle mass in children with CP.
Conclusions:
- Children with CP exhibit significantly altered body composition compared to their typically developing peers.
- Reduced muscle mass is a key characteristic of altered body composition in children with CP.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring body composition in pediatric CP management.
