FEATURES OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN CHILDREN WITH SPASTIC CEREBRAL PALSY
Authors:   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia, Maslova N.A. ,   I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Zvonkova N.G. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia,   I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Borovik T.E. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia,   I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Fisenko A.P. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia, Kuzenkova L.M. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia,   I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Chernikov V.V. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia, Kazyukova T.V. ,   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Bushueva T.V. ,   National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russia,   Academician N.P. Bochkov Research Centre of Medical Genetics (RCMG) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Published: November 2021

Children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk of undernutrition, which increases with the severity of movement disorders. Objective of the study: to assess and compare anthropometric indicators and body composition in children with cerebral palsy, depending on the level of impairment of gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). Materials and methods of research: 102 children were included in a prospective open-label comparative single-center non-randomized study: 58 (56.8%) boys and 44 (43.1%) girls with cerebral palsy aged 2 years to 16 years and 9 months who were undergoing rehabilitation in the National Medical Research Center of Children's Health in the period from 2019 to 2021. Anthropometric measurements (body weight, length, knee height, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses) were performed on admission. Body fat percentage (%FM) was calculated by CP-modified (Gurka) equations and compared with results obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis. A survey on the EDACS scale was performed to determine the ability to eat and drink. Results: patients were divided into 2 groups: the main group – 53 children (52%) with GMFCS levels IV–V and a comparison group – 49 children (48%) with GMFCS levels I–III. The groups did not differ statistically significantly in terms of gender (p=0.956) and age (p=0.207). The median age in the main group was 7.1 years, in the comparison group – 5.3 years. Children of the main group had statistically significantly lower growth indicators (HAZ1 –1.5 [–2.6; –0.74] and HAZ2 –0.58 [–1.59; 0.44], p=0.003), BMI (BAZ1 –2.43 [–3.67; –0.93]; BAZ2 –0.91 [–1.942; 0.28], p<0.001), higher frequency of oromotor dysfunction (42% and 4%, p< 0.001), the percentage of severe wasting (59% and 16%, p<0.001; OR 7.2 (95% CI 2.8–18.4) (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in %FM between children of main and comparison groups. Patients even with moderate and severe undernutrition according to WHO criteria had normal or excess %FM. A moderate positive correlation was found between %FM calculated using the Gurka equations and those obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis (r=0.565, p=0.002). Conclusions: anthropometric indicators in children with CP deteriorate with an increase in the degree of neurological deficit. The use of BMI as the only marker of nutritional status is insufficient to properly diagnose of undernutrition and identify patients needed in nutritional interventions. For an adequate analysis of the nutritional status of children with CP, it is necessary to assess the body composition (measurement of the skinfold thicknesses or bioelectrical impedance analysis).