Cerebral Palsy

Nutrition & Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Providing optimal nutrition to individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) helps improve their nutritional status and their overall general health.

Quite often, individuals with CP require specific nutritional interventions. Indicators that can help determine if the individual needs nutritional intervention include:

• No weight gain or growth
• A deviation from an established “growth pattern”
• Low body fat-stores with low weight in respect to height or length
• Prolonged or stressful oral feeding
• Signs of pulmonary aspiration or dehydration
• Evidence of micronutrient deficiencies

The choice of a nutritional strategy, as well as the mode of administration, depends on:

• The individual's nutritional status
• The individual's nutritional requirements
• The individual's ability to consume enough food and fluids orally
• The risk of pulmonary aspiration

Before recommending a nutritional strategy, nutritional requirements need to be carefully assessed, as they vary greatly depending on physical impairments, feeding difficulties, body composition and physical activity levels.

Nutritional Strategies for Cerebral Palsy (CP)

There are several different types of nutritional solutions that may be appropriate for supporting an individual with CP. Introducing thickeners or oral nutritional supplements (ONS), while ensuring adequate composition, positioning and physical support during meals, is usually the first approach. If the individual is not gaining weight with these interventions, then tube feeding may be an appropriate next step.

See below for more information on each nutritional strategy.