Mobility device use in children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) use mobility equipment to facilitate movement and stable body positioning. In this study, researchers aimed to answer the questions: (1) which mobility devices are most common in children with CP and (2) are the number and type of devices used related to age, motor ability, insurance provider, or household income? Parents of 89 children with CP aged 2 to 8 years reported the mobility equipment used by their child. Eight device categories were identified.

The most commonly reported devices were leg braces (75.3%), followed by wheelchairs (44.9%), walkers/gait trainers (29%), bath chairs (24.7%), standers (13.5%), activity chairs (6.7%), second wheelchair (6.7%), and other mobility devices (2.2%). As children got older, they used more devices. Likewise, children with greater motor ability used fewer devices than children with lesser motor ability. Older children were more likely to use a wheelchair than younger children. No other mobility devices were related to age. Wheelchairs, walkers, bath chairs, and standers were more common in children with limited motor ability. The number and types of devices were not related to insurance type or income level.

There are several possible reasons for these findings and relationships. First, leg braces were by far the most common device. This may be because leg braces are less costly and quicker to obtain compared to other medical devices. Next, the relationships between age and both total devices and wheelchairs may be because younger children often have adequate support in non-medical positioning devices like infant seats and walkers, or strollers while older children may not. However, early wheelchair use has benefits such as more secure body positioning and allowing for independent exploration. Finally, the authors consider possible reasons for the low incidence of stander use and suggest this as an area in need of greater research and policy efforts.