To investigate the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy and the compliance of their families with nutritional management.
Approach:
Study Design: Cross-sectional study involving 58 children with cerebral palsy and their families at Kunming Children's Hospital.
Data Collection: Included anthropometric measurements, biochemical indicators, family questionnaire survey, and SGNA.
Statistical Analysis: Utilized rank-sum test for comparisons and weighted kappa for consistency analysis.
Key Findings:
Malnutrition prevalence was 50.00%, with all median growth Z-scores below normal levels.
Dysphagia affected nearly half of the children (48.72%).
SGNA showed strong concordance with WHO malnutrition grading (κ = 0.741; p < 0.01).
Serum albumin and total protein levels were significantly lower in children with cerebral palsy compared to controls (P < 0.05).
Parental perceptions varied: 52.63% believed cerebral palsy is linked to malnutrition, while 47.36% did not; only 35% perceived their child as malnourished.
Interpretation:
Children with cerebral palsy have a high prevalence of malnutrition, and family compliance with nutritional management is low.
Limitations:
Small sample size of 58 children may limit generalizability.
Study conducted in a single hospital may not represent broader population.
