Keywords
nutrition
counseling
questionnaire
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. The issues of early screening for nutritional disorders, standardization of assessment and effectiveness of nutritional interventions in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) remain insufficiently resolved.
Aim. To assess the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy by conducting anthropometry and analyze the state of advisory work for parents regarding their child's nutrition.
Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Thirty‑two children with CP aged 4 to 14 years were examined. Body weight and height were measured and correlated with percentile curves. When height measurement with a stadiometer was impossible, special segmental measurement formulas were used. Nutritional deficiency was defined as a condition in which body weight and height for age were below the 10th percentile. Parents were additionally interviewed about their children's nutrition. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (calculation of absolute and relative values) with MedCalc 14.8 software (MedCalc Software, Belgium). The study was conducted within the framework of a research project of the pediatric departments of Kharkiv National Medical University (state registration number 0123U101768).
Research Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (1964–2024) and the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No.690 of September 23, 2009. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Kharkiv National Medical University (Protocol No.6 of March 1, 2023). Informed consent was obtained from parents for their children's participation in the study.
Results. Assistive feeding technologies (tube, gastrostomy) were required for 12 (37.5%) children, while 20 (62.5%) children were fed with assistance. Nutritional deficiency was found in 28 (87.5%) children with CP, with chronic nutritional deficiency in 25 (78.1%) children. Parents of 20 (62.5%) children fed them regular family traditional dishes of various textures and reported that they did not receive nutritional counseling. Nutrition counseling was provided to 12 (37.5%) children, but not by a multidisciplinary team. Only 11 (34.3%) children received clinical nutrition.
Conclusions. Nutritional deficiency often remains underdiagnosed, and care is not sufficiently integrated into clinical management. Correction of nutritional deficiency, gastrostomy, and clinical nutrition are not prescribed to all children. The necessary number of multidisciplinary team specialists is not involved in counseling children with CP about their nutritional status, which requires attention from healthcare managers.
Keywords: pediatrics and neonatology, nutrition, counseling, questionnaire.
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