Relationship Between Nutritional Status and Severity of Cerebral Palsy: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study.
Yiting Zhao, Hongmei Tang, Tingting Peng and 10 others
PMID 36633287WHAT IT FOUND
Undernutrition affects half of children with cerebral palsy and worsens as motor and eating difficulties increase.
Blood tests failed to identify nutritional status, so clinical assessment of eating ability and growth remains essential for screening.
Key findings
0150.8% of children with cerebral palsy had undernutrition, rising to 81.5% in those with the most severe motor or eating difficulties.
02Standard blood markers like albumin and prealbumin did not differ between undernourished and well-nourished children, indicating they are unreliable for nutritional screening.
03Poorer social life ability was significantly correlated with worse undernutrition, suggesting a link between functional independence and nutritional status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality between severity of cerebral palsy and undernutrition. Blood tests were only performed on 412 of 1,151 participants, limiting the generalizability of the laboratory findings. The sample had a low proportion of older children (13–18 years) and severe dysphagia (EDACS level V), which may not fully represent the broader CP population. EDACS is primarily designed for children over 3 years, so its application to younger children may require further validation. The study did not analyze the trend of odds ratios for each individual GMFCS/EDACS level compared to level I.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use blood markers such as albumin or prealbumin to screen for undernutrition in children with cerebral palsy. This study found no significant differences in these markers between undernourished and well-nourished children, so clinical assessment of growth and eating ability is required.