Food for Babies With Cerebral Palsy

Caring for a baby with cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological disorder that effects body movement and muscle coordination, requires extra care and attention.

Nutritional Needs

• Babies with cerebral palsy are more likely to suffer from constipation and being underweight. Feeding CP babies high fiber foods and high calorie foods can help prevent these conditions from occurring.

High Fiber Foods

• Fiber helps to prevent constipation. Strained apricots, prunes, peaches, plums, pears and peas are just some baby foods which are high in fiber and would be good to give a baby with cerebral palsy.

High Calorie Foods

• Babies with cerebral palsy use up calories faster than healthy babies making high calorie foods important for a CP baby's diet. Bananas, peas, peaches and sweet potatoes are all baby foods with a high calorie count.

Warning

• A baby with cerebral palsy may have trouble chewing and swallowing. This makes the child more likely to be malnourished.

Treatment

• If your child with cerebral palsy has trouble chewing and swallowing there are treatment options. A speech therapist can work with your child on strengthening the mouth and jaw which in return will make the process of eating easier. In worst case scenarios a doctor can insert a gastrostomy feeding tube to ensure your child does not become malnourished.