Feasibility of bioelectrical impedance analysis in children with a severe generalized cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE
The need is strong for an accurate and easy-to-perform test to evaluate the nutritional state of children who have a severe generalized cerebral palsy, defined as a severe motor handicap and an intellectual disability. For that purpose, we determined the feasibility of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in these children and evaluated their nutritional state.


METHODS
BIA recordings were done in 35 children who had a severe generalized cerebral palsy using a single-frequency BIA device. In addition, arm span and body weight were determined. Components of feasibility were whether the children tolerated the recording and felt comfortable and whether the recording could be performed in a reproducible way (prescribed body position and stable resistance and reactance values). All recordings were performed at specialized children's daycare centers or schools.


RESULTS
One child (3%) did not tolerate the recording, whereas the remaining 34 children (71%) felt comfortable. Most children (74%) could be placed in the prescribed position, but stability of resistance values was low. Stability of resistance values was positively influenced by older age, a quiet location for the recording, feeling comfortable, and a small number of people in the room. For 29 children, we were able to calculate values for total body water and fat-free mass. Compared with age-matched reference values, these values were significantly decreased in all age groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The present pilot study has demonstrated that BIA recording is a feasible nutritional assessment method in children who have severe generalized cerebral palsy. Because the test procedure was well tolerated by most children, its value for use in this specific population deserves further investigation.
Veugelers
Rebekka
R
Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General Practice, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Penning
Corine
C
van Gulik
Michiel E
ME
Tibboel
Dick
D
Evenhuis
Heleen M
HM
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity