New AHRQ Research on Cerebral Palsy Evaluates Feeding and Nutrition Interventions

Despite a range of potential feeding and nutrition interventions for patients with cerebral palsy (CP), consensus is lacking about the interventions’ efficacy, safety and applicability, a new AHRQ research review finds. Multiple interventions are often used in combination to treat feeding difficulties in adolescents with CP, making it difficult to know the individual effects of each intervention. Although all of the studies that were reviewed demonstrate significant weight gain with gastrostomy (tube feeding directly into the stomach), results for other growth measures are mixed, and there are potential risks of harms such as overfeeding, infection, stomach ulcers, and reflux. Also, there is not sufficient evidence to determine how well behavioral and surgical interventions can reduce feeding difficulties in adolescents with CP. Select to access the full review, Interventions for Feeding and Nutrition in Cerebral Palsy.