ABSTRACT

Aim

In our study, it was aimed to investigate the trunk anthropometric measurements that provide information about nutrition and respiratory capacity in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP).

Material and Methods

In our study, trunk anthropometric measurements of 32 children with HCP in the age group 5-12 years and 40 normal children in the same age group were performed.

Results

Weight, length, body mass index (BMI), overarm length, shoulder circumference, chest (axilla) circumference, waist circumference, abdomen circumference, hip circumference, thorax width, thorax depth, shoulder width, biacromial width, biiliac width, and bitrochanteric width values of the children with HCP were significantly lower than those of normal children. Nevertheless, the chest (xiphoid and subcostal) circumference values of the children with HCP were not significantly different from those of normal children. The trunk anthropometric measurements that provides information about nutrition and respiratory capacity in children with HCP have lower values than normal children.

Conclusion

Growth retardation is observed in children with HCP when compared with the same age group because of functional insufficiency and their life quality decreases.