ENERGY INTAKES OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL-PALSY

The energy intakes of 13 children [seven girls, six boys, mean age 10 years (s.d. 4; range 4-15 years)] with cerebral palsy attending a resi dential school were measured by 3-day weighed dietary record. Energy i ntake averaged 340 kJ/kg per day (s.d. 93; range 102-424) which was hi gher than the group mean estimated energy requirement (271 kj/kg per d ay, s.d. 70; range 144-395). The mean coefficient of variation for day to day energy intake was 14%, and food energy not consumed (plate was te and food unsuccessfully ingested) averaged 22% of energy intake. Wi thin the group there was little evidence of marked differences in ener gy intake between different diagnostic types of cerebral palsy or betw een children of different feeding/eating ability, although the sample size was too small to detect small between-group differences in intake . Energy intake was somewhat higher than that reported in some other s tudies, but there was no evidence of the unusually high energy intakes which have been reported previously in some groups of children with c erebral palsy.