THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTOR LEVELS OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND THEIR EATING AND DRINKING SKILLS AND DIETARY INTAKES

Abstract

Aim: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is defined as a musculoskeletal system disorder characterized by a non-progressive but the most important symptom of the disease is loss of motor function. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of eating and drinking skills with the intake of energy and some nutrients according to gross motor skills of children with CP. Study Design: The research was conducted on 74 volunteer children (52.7% male; 8.7±3.32 years) and their parents. For the evaluation of the nutritional status of the children, a 3-day food intake record and Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS) was used. Results: In all age groups, the daily energy, carbohydrate and fiber intake of children in the GMFCS IV-V group is less than those in the GMFCS I-II-III group. There was a statistically significant positive strong relationship between GMFCS and EDACS, however there was a low negative correlation between GMFCS and average daily carbohydrate intakes. Conclusions: Results are supported by this study and EDACS can be an easy and practical method in classifying children's eating and drinking skills in order to create a common language in the literature.