Abstract 149

Aim: To establish the prevalence of undernutrition in a group of children with cerebral palsy and examine the relationship to feeding ability.

Subjects: Children with cerebral palsy attending Special Needs Schools, South and East Belfast.

Methods: Ninety children were enrolled. Using standard anthropometry, undernutrition (UN) was diagnosed on one or more of the following criteria; weight (Wt) <9thcentile, triceps (Tc) or subscapular (Sc) skinfold measurement <3rdcentile or midarm circumference (MAC) <5thcentile. Feeding competence was scored (0-100) with respect to spoon usage (Sp), bite (Bi), chew (Ch), cup usage (Cu), straw usage (St), swallow (Sw) and drooling (Dr)

Results: Forty-one children met the criteria for UN; 49 were adequately nourished (AN). Those in the UN group had lower feeding competence scores compared to the AN group; (Sp 68±5 v 90±2, Bi 68±6 v 92±2, Ch 60±6 v 91±2, Cu 70±5 v 93±3, St 68±7 v 93±3, Sw 69±5 v 89±2, Dr46±8 v 84±5); (p<0.001) Each modality of feeding competence correlated significantly to the centiles of Wt, Tc, Sc and MAC (p<0.02). In multiple regression analyses, with weight as the dependent variable only Ch (r=0.857, p=0.007) and birth weight centile (r=0.182, p=0.048), are independently associated. Similarly with Tc as the dependent variable both Ch (r=0.833, p=0.021) and birth weight centile (r=0.264, p=0.013) were independently associated. A positive correlation of MAC with Ch was also present independent of other feeding modalities.

Conclusion: 46% of the group were undernourished. All modalities of feeding competence were associated with undernutrition, but only chewing ability was independently associated.