Body mass index measures in children with cerebral palsy related to gross motor function classification: a clinic-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of overweight in a clinic-based population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and its association with gross motor function status.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review. We calculated body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) from charted height and weight and recorded Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS levels I-V) on the basis of clinical descriptions in clinic notes for 137 children (2-18 yrs old) with CP seen in a pediatric rehabilitation clinic at an academic medical center. BMI percentiles were reported according to sex-specific age group standards for growth set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associations were modeled by Pearson's chi2 distribution.


RESULTS
Out of the total CP subject group, 29.1% were considered overweight (>95th percentile) or at risk for overweight (85th to 95th percentile). Ambulatory children (GMFCS levels I and II) showed a trend (Pearson's chi2, P = 0.06) toward higher prevalence of overweight (22.7%) compared with nonambulatory children (levels IV and V, 9.6%). Underweight was more prevalent in nonambulatory children (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis did not identify any significant predictors for overweight.


CONCLUSIONS
In our patient population, analysis of BMI suggests that children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly among ambulatory children. More study is needed, using measures more accurate than BMI, to clarify risk.
Hurvitz
Edward A
EA
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Green
Liza B
LB
Hornyak
Joseph E
JE
Khurana
Seema R
SR
Koch
Lauren Gerard
LG
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009048:Motor Skills; D009128:Muscle Spasticity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index