Análise do perfil dos cuidadores de crianças com paralisia cerebral atendidas em um centro de referência no Ceará-Brasil

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a chronic disabling disease of the neuromuscular system that can cause partial or total dependence for daily activities, including oral hygiene, which, in turn, is a determining factor to increase the risk of developing dental caries. This study is a part of the research entitled “A Prevalência da cárie dentária em crianças com paralisia cerebral” and aims to identify the profile of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy and the factors associated to the routine of oral health care for those with special needs. This is an epidemiological cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, in which 51 children with cerebral palsy and their 51 main caregivers served by the Center for Early Intervention and Treatment participated in the research. A formulary was administered to the children’s caregivers to assess factors that may be related to oral health in the analyzed group. The obtained data were described as absolute and percentage frequency and analyzed using chi-squared and Fisher’s Exact tests. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17.0 for Windows was used with a confidence interval of 95%. The household income of most children (52.94%) was low and only 25.49% of the children performed oral hygiene 3 times or more a day. 39,21% of the caregivers did not receive guidance on oral health and a total of 58.82% reported difficulties in performing children’s oral hygiene. The caregiving burden was mostly cited (41.86%) as a factor that limited the frequency of children’s oral care. At last, 45.09% of the analyzed children were never taken to a dental appointment. It is concluded that there are limitations in the oral care of children with cerebral palsy by caregivers and that factors such as the lack of professional guidance and the absence of monitoring of dental services can contribute to the development of oral diseases in patients. Therefore, is important to have public policy that aims to facilitate access to the oral health service responsible to health promotion, disease prevention and treatment of injuries.