The nutritional status according to anthropometric indexes and growth patterns in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: A scoping review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Determining the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) presents numerous challenges. Accurate nutritional assessment is crucial in this population to ensure the provision of appropriate and effective nutritional interventions. Aim: This scoping review aimed to analyze the most frequently used anthropometric indexes and growth patterns to determine the nutritional status of children and adolescents with CP. Methods: The literature search was performed in six databases Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SciELO, Medline and PubMed. It was conducted on studies that included children aged 0 to 18 years. Sixty-three publications met the inclusion criteria. Results: The prevalence of undernutrition was higher when WHO growth standards and CDC growth charts were used (93.3% and 56.8%, respectively), whereas the prevalence of normal nutritional status was higher when US CP growth charts were used (92.5%). The prevalence of stunting was higher with the WHO growth standards (97.7%) and lowest with the US CP growth charts (4.3%). The WHO growth standards were the most frequently used (50.8%), followed by the CDC growth charts (22.2%) and the US CP growth charts (12.7%). Conclusion: The index with more relevance in this scoping review was BMI since it was addressed in 77.8% of the studies. When assessing the nutritional status with typically developed children's patterns, there was a higher prevalence of undernutrition and stunting. When using US CP growth charts, more children were included in the normal range. More studies are needed to determine which growth pattern is a better indicator of health.