Energy expenditure in children with cerebral palsy and moderate / severe malnutrition during nutritional recovery

To analyze the total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and moderate or severe malnutrition during nutritional recovery. In an intervention study, thirteen subjects with CP (10 females and 3 males with a mean age of 9y11m ± 2y3m), level V of the Gross Motor Function Classification System and moderate or severe malnutrition were included. Eight were fed by nasogastric tube and five by gastrostomy. They were compared with 57 healthy participants (31 females and 26 males with mean age of 8y7m ± 10m). Anthropometric measurements, body composition and energy expenditure by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and indirect calorimetry (IC) were performed in both groups. TEE and REE were higher in healthy children than in children with CP in kcal/d and kcal/cm/d but were lower in kcal/kg/d (p