ENERGY-CONSUMPTION IN CHILDREN WITH SPINA-BIFIDA AND CEREBRAL-PALSY -A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

The authors looked for differences in the energy expenditure patterns of ambulant children with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Oxygen cons umption was measured according to type of cerebral palsy or level of s pina bifida lesion, and in healthy children. The rate of oxygen consum ption (mL/kg/min) was significantly higher in the children with dipleg ia than in those with hemiplegia or with spina bifida or the healthy c hildren. Oxygen cost (mL/kg/m) was significantly higher and velocity w as significantly slower in all the groups with disability than in the healthy children. The reason children with diplegia consumed more oxyg en than other children when walking may be that their abnormal equilib rium reactions impaired their balance and their ability to control the ir walking speed.