Evaluation of anthropometric parameters and body composition in children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often develop nutritional disorders, their incidence reaches 80% (according to the literature data).Purpose. To analyze the frequency of nutritional disorders and features of nutritional status in children with CP.Characteristics of children and research methods. We studied the anthropometric indicators (weight, height, body mass index, triceps and subscapular skin fold thickness), physical development characteristics depending on the motor abilities of the child according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System scale and body composition by bioelectrical impedance.Results. Nutritional status disorders were detected in 88.8% of patients, while the diagnostic was based on a reduced physical development in 55.5% of patients. 22.2% of patients had protein-energy deficiency of the first degree, 15.5% of patients had protein-energy deficiency of the second degree, 6.7% of patients had protein-energy deficiency of the third degree, 11.1% of patients suffered from overweight. Besides, nutritional disorders were diagnosed in 33.3% of patients with normal physical development, but with altered body composition, namely, with the imbalance of fat and lean body weight, the isolated increase of the percentage of fat mass, the decrease of active cellular and musculoskeletal weight. These patients also require nutritional correction.Conclusion. These data confirm the dependence of physical development and body composition on the patient’s motor activity and demonstrate the need for complex comprehensive study of nutritional status in children with CP