Functional Skills of Children with Cerebral Palsy

A cross sectional study of 562 Swedish children with cerebral palsy (ages 3-18 years) was performed from 1990-2005. The researchers analyzed data regarding how a child sits, stands, stands up, sits down and the use of assistive devices.

The results indicated the following:
– 57% of children used standard chairs
– 62% could stand independently
– 62% could stand up without external support
– 63% could sit down without external support
– 42% used adaptive seating
– 31% used external support to stand
– 19% used external support to stand up
– 13% used external support to sit down

Combining the children who used external support (including adaptive seating) with the children who could perform the skills independently the results indicated the following:
– 99% of the children could sit
– 96% could stand
– 81% could stand up
– 81% could sit down.

The Gross Motor Function Classification System was a good predictor of the ability to sit and stand. Children ages 3-6 years old used support more frequently.

To read the full text article go to BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Reference: Elisabet Rodby-Bousquet and Gunnar Hägglund. Sitting and standing performance in a total population of children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010, 11:131doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-131