Child’s quality of life and mother’s burden in spastic cerebral palsy: a topographical classification perspective

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the child’s quality of life (QoL), mother’s burden, and correlation between these parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Children with spastic CP (n = 120; mean age: 8.64 ± 3.45 years; range: 2–17 years) were classified into three groups of diplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia based on topographical classification. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and Zarit Burden Interview were used to determine the child’s QoL and the mother’s burden scores, respectively. RESULTS: Children’s QoL scores were lower in the quadriplegia group than in the hemiplegia and diplegia groups (except for emotional functioning). The mother’s burden was lower in the quadriplegia group than in the other groups, and it was lower in the diplegia group than in the hemiplegia group. Increases in children’s QoL scores were associated with decreases in the mothers’ burden scores. CONCLUSION: Children’s QoL is associated with the mother’s burden in spastic CP, and quadriplegic children and their mothers are more affected. The burden of mothers ranked the highest in the quadriplegia group, followed by the diplegia group and the hemiplegia group. Topographical classification is a good indicator for children’s QoL and the mother’s burden in spastic CP.