Frequency of Aspiration Pneumonia in a Cerebral Palsy Child Presented to a Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i6.3153Keywords:
Aspiration pneumonia, child, cerebral palsy, dysphagia, prevalenceAbstract
Background: Cerebral palsy is one of the most common neurological disorders of childhood and is frequently associated with feeding difficulties, dysphagia and impaired swallowing mechanism. These problems increase the risk of recurrent chest infections and aspiration pneumonia, which is an important cause of morbidity and hospital admissions in such children. Early identification of aspiration pneumonia may help in reducing complications and improving quality of life in cerebral palsy patients. Objective: To determine the frequency of aspiration pneumonia in children with cerebral palsy presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Duration and Place of Study: Conducted from 1st January to 1st May 2025 at Department of Paediatrics, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. Methodology: Total 103 children aged 1 to 14 years with clinically diagnosed cerebral palsy were included. Clinical assessment and chest findings were used to label aspiration pneumonia based on predefined criteria. Data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences version 26. Mean ± standard deviation was calculated for quantitative variables and frequencies n(%) for categorical variables. Stratification was done and chi square test or Fisher exact test applied, with p≤0.05 taken as significant. Results: Mean age was 6.43 ± 4.04 years and mean weight was 20.79 ± 7.30 kg. Males were 63 (61.2%) and females 40 (38.8%). Majority were from rural areas 67 (65.0%). Aspiration pneumonia was found in 31 (30.1%) children while 72 (69.9%) had no pneumonia. Significant association was seen with age, as all cases 31 (37.8%) were in children ≤10 years (p<0.001). All cases also occurred in children with weight ≤20 kg 31 (51.7%) (p<0.001). Higher frequency was seen in children of uneducated parents 21 (51.2%) and rural residents 31 (46.3%) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Aspiration pneumonia is common problem in cerebral palsy children, especially in younger age, low weight and socially deprived groups.
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