Oral health care for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: perceptions of parents and caregivers.(ARTICLE TEXTO EN INGLES)

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2020-10, Vol.25 (10), p.3773-3784
• Main Authors: da Silva, Elizabeth Louisy Marques Soares, de Góes, Paulo Sávio Angeiras, Vasconcelos, Márcia Maria Vendiciano Barbosa, Jamelli, Silvia Regina, Eickmann, Sophie Helena, de Melo, Márcia Maria Dantas Cabral, Lima, Marília de Carvalho
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Caregivers; Cerebral palsy; Children; Evaluation; Health care; Oral hygiene; Parents; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-812320202510.27972018

The aim was to evaluate the oral health care of children/adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP) according to severity through the perceptions of parents/caregivers. A case series study was conducted at health services in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil with 94 mothers/caregivers of subjects with CP from 5 and 18 years old. Sociodemographic factors, oral health care and use of dental services (DS) were evaluated. The Gross Motor Function Classifcation System showed 67% with severe motor impairment. Subjects with severe CP had signifcantly higher frequencies of belonging to families with lower income (89%, p < 0.001), living in the interior (44%, p < 0.005), having transportation diffculties (60%, p = 0.04), diffculty regarding access to DS (88%, p = 0.009) and a greater need for oral hygiene (67%, p = 0.008), which was performed exclusively by the caregiver (94%, p < 0.001). Despite identifed access barriers, dental care was facilitated for those with severe CP, early DS use, but low availability of dentists and low degree of humanization were cited as major problems. These results reveal problems related to daily oral health care, family living context, institutional support and quality of DS that should be addressed in comprehensive, inclusive, equitable social and economic public policies.