Cerebral Palsy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cerebral Palsy, including details on symptoms, causes, types.

Body mass index measures in children with cerebral palsy related to gross motor function classification: a clinic-based study.

Hurvitz EA, Green LB, Hornyak JE, Khurana SR, Koch LG

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of overweight in a clinic-based population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and its association with gross motor function status. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. We calculated body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) from charted height and weight and recorded Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS levels I-V) on the basis of clinical descriptions in clinic notes for 137 children (2-18 yrs old) with CP seen in a pediatric rehabilitation clinic at an academic medical center. BMI percentiles were reported according to sex-specific age group standards for growth set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associations were modeled by Pearson's chi2 distribution. RESULTS: Out of the total CP subject group, 29.1% were considered overweight (>95th percentile) or at risk for overweight (85th to 95th percentile). Ambulatory children (GMFCS levels I and II) showed a trend (Pearson's chi2, P = 0.06) toward higher prevalence of overweight (22.7%) compared with nonambulatory children (levels IV and V, 9.6%). Underweight was more prevalent in nonambulatory children (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis did not identify any significant predictors for overweight. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient population, analysis of BMI suggests that children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly among ambulatory children. More study is needed, using measures more accurate than BMI, to clarify risk.

Published 22 April 2008 in Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 87(5): 395-403.
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