High rates of malnutrition and epilepsy: two common comorbidities in children with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy and determine the particular characteristics of the disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The nutritional status of the children was assessed by the Gomez classification using weight-for-age. The Gross Motor Function Classification System was used to determine the gross and fine motor functions. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 197 children (58.4% males) between the ages of 1 and 18 years old. Asphyxia (44.1%) was the primary etiological factor, and spastic quadriplegia (41.6%) was the most common type of cerebral palsy. Malnutrition was the most frequent comorbidity and the overall malnutrition rate was 76.6%. The most common type of malnutrition was severe malnutrition, which was seen in 70 patients (35.5%). Epilepsy was the second most common comorbidity, seen in 51.7% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed a high rate of malnutrition and epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy. These two more common significant comorbidities that influence the outcomes of children with cerebral palsy should be carefully evaluated and successfully managed. Families of children with cerebral palsy and their physicians should be educated about the nutritional status in these children.