Spring 1999
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Contents: |
WHAT IS "NAGCPP"? and How did the North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project begin? "NAGCPP" (Pronounced "NAG-SEP") began with a consensus conference in April of 1996. The meeting consisted of 15 experts in the areas of pediatrics, cerebral palsy, nutrition, endocrinology, child development and growth. The group developed a plan to study growth in children with cerebral palsy in order to help them and their families lead healthier, happier lives. The long term goals of "NAGCPP" are three-fold: 1) To define expected growth patterns in children with CP. (What is different about their growth?) NAGCPP is a multicenter core study with individual centers having ongoing nested studies which will address more specific questions related to growth. The centers involved in the core and nested studies of NAGCPP are the University of Virginia, Duke University & the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Rochester, McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) and The University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). The current nested studies include bone mineral density, sexual maturation, and health- related quality of life in children with CP. We are also researching the effects of feeding tubes on growth and developmental functioning in children with CP. We are considering the possibility of branching out and adding more sites, to get even more valuable information! Stay tuned! A total of 283 participants were measured in six distinct geographic areas: Virginia = 75 Of the 283 children measured 59% were boys and 41% girls. The average age was 9 years old. |