Abstract

FURNUS, Valeria; MASERAS, Milagros  and  SALGADO, Lucía Inés. Cerebral Palsy: nutritional status in patients with nutritional support. Diaeta [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.165, pp.28-36. ISSN 1852-7337.

Introduction: cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common neuromotor condition during early childhood, being the main cause of physical disability in children. This pathology affects the nutritional status of those affected, and in turn, malnutrition exacerbates pre-existing neurological disorders. Objectives: to determine the distributional frequency of feeding type and milk or formula type selected within patients diagnosed with PC and enteral support exclusively. To determine the caloric, protein, fiber, fluids, calcium and iron intake. To determine concordance between the nutritional status of patients and that perceived by their caregivers. Materials and Methods: an observational, transversal, prospective, descriptive, analytical study with a consecutive sampling was conducted. Results: the study included 30 patients and their caregivers. 70% of the sample used formula and/or milk, 3% modified foods and 27% a mixed diet; infant formula was the one mostly used (33%). 60% of the sample was normal weight, 33% low weight and 7% overweight. The average caloric intake was 11.1 kcal/cm (SD +6.5 kcal/cm) in children with low weight, 11.6 kcal/cm (SD +6.4 kcal/cm) in those with normal weight and 9.8 kcal/cm (SD +2.4 kcal/cm) in children with overweight; no differences were observed following nutritional status (p=0.13). 90% covered protein requirement, 80% iron, 73% water, 70% calcium and 3% fiber. Moderate agreement was found between the real nutritional status of the child and that perceived by the caregiver (kappa 0.44, p=0.0013, IC95 0.22-0.62%). Conclusion: patients with CP require the accompaniment of graduates in nutrition to adapt nutritional requirements, taking into consideration the characteristics of the CP and its treatment.

Keywords : Cerebral palsy; Nutritional status; Intake adequacy; Perception.

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