Comparative assessment of quality of life and functional status of children with cerebral palsy according to their early treatment

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a leading cause of childhood disability, significantly impacting the quality of life of children and their families. Early intervention (EI) programs aim to mitigate the negative effects of CP, improving social adaptation and functional abilities. Aim - to conduct a comparative analysis of the quality of life of children with spastic CP depending on whether they received EI services before the age of four. Materials and methods. The study involved 105 children aged 4-14 years, divided into two groups: Group A (43 children who received EI) and Group B (62 children who did not). Assessment was conducted using standardized international classifications, and quality-of-life questionnaire. Results. Children in the Group A demonstrated significantly higher scores in "Participation" (6.37 vs. 5.19), "Communication" (7.40 vs. 6.82), "Access to Services" (5.14 vs. 4.69), and "Social Adaptation" (101.7 vs. 87.19). The Group A also reported lower pain levels on the, with 46.5% of children experiencing mild pain (level 2) compared to 21% in the Group B. The greatest positive impact of EI was in social integration, physical well-being and participation in daily activities. Conclusions. Early intervention improves the quality of life of children with CP, enhancing their social adaptation, reducing pain, and increasing independence. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of all participating institutions. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.