About Nutrition for Cerebral Palsy Patients

People with cerebral palsy, particularly children, can find it difficult to obtain proper nutrition because of physical problems with eating. Adding extra high-calorie food to the diet, along with using physical therapy techniques, can help people with cerebral palsy overcome nutrition issues and live a healthier lifestyle.

Identification

• Cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders relating to prenatal or early childhood brain injury, usually causes motor or gait dysfunction. It also can cause problems with swallowing and chewing, which leads to difficulties in obtaining adequate nutrition. Cerebral palsy does not have a cure, and the exact cause is often difficult to determine.

Early Nutrition

• The incidence of cerebral palsy is sometimes linked to a mother who is malnourished during pregnancy or nursing. This can cause cerebral palsy in the baby because it does not allow for proper growth of brain tissue. Older babies who do not receive adequate nutrition also can develop cerebral palsy.

Nutrition Problems

• Cerebral palsy patients are likely to have a condition called oral motor dysfunction (OMD), which impairs chewing and swallowing, as well as speaking and facial expressions. OMD causes problems in coordinating tongue and mouth muscles, which makes eating difficult. Young children with OMD may find it very hard to eat properly, and may even refuse to eat. Acid reflux disease is also very common in people with cerebral palsy, which may make them want to avoid eating. In addition, some people with cerebral palsy are physically unable to use eating utensils. If there is a resulting lack of nutrition, that can cause even more problems.

Children

• Meal times for children with cerebral palsy can be frustrating and upsetting for both the children and their parents. Feeding can take several hours daily, and there are frequent episodes of coughing, choking and vomiting. According to Cerebral Palsy Source, about 35 percent of children with cerebral palsy do not receive adequate nutrition (see Resources).

Solutions

• Children with cerebral palsy often have growth retardation because of a lack of nutrition. Adding high-calorie liquid or soft foods can help. Parents are advised to add margarine or butter to foods, use whole milk instead of low-fat versions, and provide ice cream and milkshakes, pudding and cheese. They also should ask the pediatrician about adding a liquid nutritional supplement such as Ensure or Carnation Instant Breakfast. Nutritionists and dietitians can be excellent sources of support. Hiring a speech therapist to teach muscle exercises also can help develop ways to use the mouth muscles and tongue more effectively. If the problem proves unsolvable by any of these means, the parents may want to consider having a surgeon insert a gastronomy feeding tube.