Peer-reviewed article
Analysis of nutrition status and family compliance in children with cerebral palsy.
He X, Zhang Y, Wang J, Huang H, He X et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined the nutritional status and family management practices of 58 children with cerebral palsy in China. Half of the children were malnourished, nearly half had difficulty swallowing, and their blood protein levels were abnormally low. Most parents did not recognize their child was malnourished and rarely had their child's nutrition assessed. The study concludes that while malnutrition is common in children with cerebral palsy, families need better education and support to manage nutrition effectively.
Key points
- 50% of children with cerebral palsy had malnutrition, with all median growth measurements below normal levels
- 48.72% of children had dysphagia (swallowing difficulties)
- Serum albumin and total protein levels were significantly lower than in children without cerebral palsy
- Only 12.28% of parents reported regular nutritional assessments for their children
- 52.63% of parents believed cerebral palsy is linked to malnutrition, but 65% did not perceive their own child as malnourished
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study from one hospital in China, so it cannot show whether nutritional interventions improve outcomes or whether findings apply to other settings. The study describes the problem and family awareness but does not test whether specific health education or assessment approaches actually work.
Abstract
Background The overall nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy in China is not optimistic. Although some current studies have focused on the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy or the compliance of their family members, there are relatively few studies that conduct a systematic analysis by combining the two. This study conducts an investigatory analysis of the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy and the compliance of their family members, aiming to provide a basis for strengthening the nutritional management of children with cerebral palsy. Methods This cross-sectional study investigated the nutritional status of 58 children with cerebral palsy treated at the Rehabilitation Department of Kunming Children's Hospital (January 2023-December 2024), alongside their families' compliance with nutritional management. Data collection included anthropometric measurements (weight, height, head circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness, mid-upper arm circumference), biochemical indicators (serum albumin, total protein, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D), family questionnaire survey and the SGNA. The rank - sum test for two - sample comparison was employed to compare the serum total protein and albumin levels between the control group and the diseased group. The weighted kappa was utilized to analyze the consistency of the nutritional grades between SGNA and ASPEN Z-score. Result 1. Malnutrition prevalence was strikingly high at 50.00%, with all median growth Z-scores falling below normal reference levels. 2. Dysphagia affected nearly half of the children (48.72%). 3. The SGNA demonstrated strong concordance with the WHO malnutrition grading system (κ = 0.741; 95% CI: 0.623-0.859; p < 0.01). 4. Biochemical deficits included markedly lower serum albumin and total protein compared to controls (P < 0.05). 5. Parental perceptions varied: 52.63% believed cerebral palsy is linked to malnutrition, while 47.36% did not; only 35% perceived their child as malnourished vs. 65% who did not. Merely 12.28% of parents reported regular nutritional assessments for their children. Conclusion Children with cerebral palsy exhibit a high prevalence of malnutrition, yet family compliance with nutritional management is suboptimal. Future interventions should focus on strengthening parental health education and streamlining nutritional assessment processes to improve management outcomes.