Caregiver quality of life and perceptions on feeding children with cerebral palsy: experience from Sri Lanka
Abstract Undernutrition is a common consequence of feeding difficulties in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Parental perceptions and their Quality-of-Life (QoL) play a role in above concerns. Understanding this link is crucial for designing effective family-centered interventions, in order to over...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-025-05852-w |
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| Summary: | Abstract Undernutrition is a common consequence of feeding difficulties in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Parental perceptions and their Quality-of-Life (QoL) play a role in above concerns. Understanding this link is crucial for designing effective family-centered interventions, in order to overcome the challenges in nutritional and developmental outcomes and to improve emotional and psychological well-being of the caregivers. This study explores the linkage between the nutritional status of children with CP, caregiver perceptions of feeding concerns, and caregiver QoL. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in a Sri Lankan tertiary care setting, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire including clinical diagnoses, PedsQL tool and caregiver perceptions. Convenience sampling method was used. Statistical analysis included Pearson chi-square tests and ANOVA. Among 226 participants, 50% of children under 5 had Severe or Moderate Acute Malnutrition (SAM + MAM), and 41.2% aged 5–19 were underweight. Children with severe CP showed higher undernutrition rates. Most caregivers of undernourished children did not find feeding challenging and believed their children consumed adequate calories. Caregivers did not approve of non-oral feeding methods. Caregiver QoL was impacted by severity of CP (F = 10.4, p < 0.05), but not the child’s nutritional status (F = 0.58, p > 0.05). Caregiver education and support appear fundamental in improving the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy. |
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| ISSN: | 1471-2431 |