Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive developmental condition that impacts
movement and posture. It results from damage to the developing brain and can lead to various
motor impairments that limit physical activities. Children with CP may experience respiratory
issues, including limited chest wall movement and weakened respiratory muscles, which can
cause inadequate alveolar ventilation, difficulty clearing airways, and shortness of breath.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function of children with CP. Additionally,
it sought to investigate differences in lung function based on the distribution of paralysis.
Methods: Sixteen children of both genders, aged 3 to 16 years, diagnosed with CP, participated
in the study. They were selected from the Pediatric Rehabilitation Center. The outcomes were
assessed using Geratherm Respiratory Blue Cherry software to measure vital capacity (VC),
forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, FEV1/VC, and peak expiratory flow
(PEF), providing objective information for monitoring lung health.
Results: An unpaired t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between children
with CP and their normative values in terms of VC, FEV1, and PEF, with P of 0.038, 0.044, and
0.00125, respectively. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms
of FEV1/FVC and FEV1/VC, with P of 0.066 and 0.076, respectively. Regarding PEF, there was
a statistically significant difference between patients with diaplegia and normative values for
the same age and sex (0.005). In terms of VC and FEV1/VC, the pairwise comparisons revealed
statistically significant differences between patients with diplegia and normative values for the
same age and sex (P=0.01 and P=0.002, respectively).