Pattern of growth in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Objective: To provide a growth reference standard for children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy (QCP). Growth references specific to children with cerebral palsy would facilitate uniformity in clinical appraisal of their growth and nutritional status and would simplify comparative interpretation of growth data.

Design: Weights and lengths were obtained according to standardized procedures. Measurements were taken at time of visit to an orthopedic clinic and from retrospective review of charts.

Subjects: Three hundred sixty children with QCP. Growth data were based on 1,630 observations.

Analysis: Growth curves representing the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles were estimated using a smoothing splines technique. Statistical bootstrapping was performed to confirm significant differences from the growth charts of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Results: Growth charts were constructed for boys and girls, aged 0 to 120 months, depicting length for age, weight for age, and weight for length. Average differences in length for age, weight for age, and weight for length between children with QCP and NCHS standards were -2.3 z, -2.4 z, -1.3 z for boys, and -2.1 z, -2.1 z, -1.1 z for girls. Children with QCP fell progressively behind in stature and weight. Compared with their NCHS counterparts, they were 5% shorter at 2 years of age and more than 10% shorter at 8 years of age.

Application: Charts representing the pattern of growth in children with QCP should be accessible to parents and health care professionals to facilitate evaluation and monitoring of nutritional status.