This cross-sectional study is one of the key research articles that shows just what a difference 24-hour postural care can make in the lives of children with disabilities.
Summary:
To examine any associations between postural asymmetries, postural ability, and pain for children with cerebral palsy in sitting and supine positions. An association was found between having an asymmetric posture and ability to change position in sitting and/or lying; and with pain. The results indicate the need to assess posture and provide interventions to address asymmetric posture and pain.
Method
A cross-sectional study of 2,735 children with cerebral palsy, 0-18 years old, reported into the Swedish CPUP registry. Postural asymmetries, postural ability, the gross motor function classification system levels I–V, sex, age and report of pain were used to determine any relationship between these variables.
Results
Researchers studied 1,646 children who had cerebral palsy. They found that 60.2% had postural asymmetries in sitting, and 53.6% had postural asymmetries in lying down. The asymmetries increased with age and as motor function decreased. And the children were twice as likely to have pain if they had an asymmetric posture, regardless of age, sex and motor function.
Children unable to maintain or change position independently were at higher risk for postural asymmetries while both sitting up and lying down.
Citation
Casey, J., Rosenblad, A., & Rodby-Bousquet, E. (2020). Postural asymmetries, pain, and ability to change position of children with cerebral palsy in sitting and supine: A cross-sectional study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(11), 2363–2371. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1834628
Access made possible by the authors, published by Informa UK Limited (CC BY-NC)
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