Effects of interventions with therapeutic suits (clothing) on impairments and functional limitations of children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

The review included only 13 studies and could not combine them because suit models, protocols, samples and outcomes varied too much. The evidence was graded low to very low, with weak recommendations, because of few randomized trials and methodological limitations. Many studies did not blind subjects, therapists or examiners, and external validity items scored poorly. Suit wearing time, elastic tension, exercises and concurrent usual therapy or orthoses were often not described, so the effect of the suit alone could not be separated from the treatment program. Most studies included children with mild to moderate CP and diplegic CP, so results may not apply to more severe or different CP types. Only English, Portuguese and Spanish studies were searched, and seven potentially relevant Russian-language studies were excluded; free-access databases only were used. Long-term effects and dose-response were not systematically investigated. Adverse effects and discomfort were reported for full body suits, including heat, skin irritation, urinary changes, constipation, movement restriction and toileting difficulty.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Do not read the DEFO or TheraTogs gait improvements as proof that the suit alone works. The review graded the evidence as low to very low, and the TheraSuit trial that used a control suit without elastic cords found no significant between-group difference in gross motor function or PEDI scores.