Nutritional Status of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Gorkha, Nepal: Findings from the Nepal Cerebral Palsy Register. 2021
BACKGROUND The study aimed to define the burden and underlying risk factors of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Gorkha district, Nepal. METHODS The first population-based register of children with CP in Gorkha, Nepal (i.e., Nepal CP Register-NCPR) was established in 2018. Children aged <18 years with confirmed CP were registered following standard protocol. Nutritional status was determined based on anthropometric measurements (height/length, weight, mid-upper-arm-circumference) following WHO guidelines. Descriptive analyses and adjusted logistic regression were completed. RESULTS Between June-October 2018, 182 children with CP were registered into the NCPR (mean (SD) age at assessment: 10.3 (5.0) years, 37.4% female). Overall, 51.7%, 64.1%, and 29.3% children were underweight, stunted, and thin, respectively. Furthermore, 14.3% of children with CP aged <5 years had severe wasting. Underweight and stunting were significantly higher among children with spastic CP (p = 0.02, p < 0.001) and/or Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level (III-V) (p = 0.01, p < 0.001) and/or who were not enrolled in school (p = 0.01, p < 0.001). In adjusted analysis, GMFCS level III-V and non-attendance to school significantly increased the odds of stunting by 8.2 (95% CI 1.6, 40.8) and 4.0 (95% CI 1.2, 13.2) times, respectively. CONCLUSIONS the high rate of different forms of undernutrition among children with CP in Gorkha, Nepal is concerning. Need-based intervention should be taken as priority to improve their nutritional outcome.