ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Pediatrica 2019 December;71(6):495-9

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.17.04375-4

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The effect of vitamin D auxiliary rehabilitation therapy in children with cerebral palsy and language dysfunction

Xiaoyan ZHU ✉, Rong JIAO, Minghui TU, Wenda WANG, Xiaomin WEN, Bei SONG

Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei, China

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to observe the clinical efficacy of vitamin D auxiliary rehabilitation therapy in children with cerebral palsy and language dysfunction.
METHODS: Eighty-two cases of children with cerebral palsy and language dysfunction in our hospital from March 2011 to June 2014 were selected for this study. They were divided into two groups: the rehabilitation treatment group (simple group, N.=39) and the vitamin D auxiliary rehabilitation therapy group (combination group, N.=43). After three months of treatment, language development, Gesell Child Development Scale, Bayley Infant Development Scale score and vitamin D and calcium levels were compared.
RESULTS: The language development, Gesell Child Development Scale, Bayley Infant Development Scale score and vitamin D and calcium levels for two of the groups, after treatment, are improved compared to before treatment. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The total efficiency of the language development in the combination group was obviously higher than the simple group. The difference was significant (95.3% vs. 74.4%, χ2=2.486, P=0.032). The Gesell Child Development Scale improved in the combination group compared to the simple group. The difference was statistically significant (70.4±11.3 vs. 53.3±10.5, t=3.127, P=0.026). The proportion of normal children was significantly higher than the rehabilitation treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant (30.2% vs. 20.5%, χ2=3.016, P=0.029). In the combination group, the vitamin D and calcium levels were statistically increased compared to the rehabilitation treatment group. It had statistical differences between the two groups (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D auxiliary rehabilitation therapy could improve the language function and the language development status in children with cerebral palsy and language dysfunction.

KEY WORDS: Vitamin D; Rehabilitation; Cerebral palsy; Language disorders; Intellectual disability