The Right to Food for Children With Cerebral Palsy in South Africa: Examining Nutritional Access and Structural Barriers.

Child: care, health and development · 2026 · Pilot · SLP
Tiya Vala, Radia Ameen, Skye Nandi Adams

In 9 South African families with children with CP, caregivers reported that store-bought foods often didn't match their child's swallowing needs, and the disability grant fell short. Feeding plans should start from what the family can actually buy and prepare.

Key findings

1

Seven of nine caregivers (77.8%) said the foods available in local shops were often not appropriate for their child's feeding needs because of texture or preparation requirements, and all nine caregivers (100%) reported they had to modify food textures to make meals safe.

2

Seven of nine caregivers (77.8%) reported that the disability grant was not enough to cover the household's food needs once the child's specific feeding requirements were taken into account, and seven of nine households (77.8%) experienced food access constraints including anxiety about whether there would be enough food.

3

The five children classified at EDACS levels III–V (55.6% of the sample) had greater difficulty eating the foods that were available to meet their nutritional needs, and two caregivers described mealtimes lasting between 30 and 90 minutes.

MethodologyResultsClinical Relevance

Single-blind randomized controlled trial. Sixty-four participants were randomized across two intervention arms and assessed at twelve weeks for the primary outcome…

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