Article

PURPOSE: To evaluate fatigue in the mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP),
and to determine its associations with clinical parameters of CP, depression and
quality of life (QoL).
METHOD: Ninety children
(50 girls and 40 boys) with
spastic CP and their mothers were included. Control group comprised mothers of
healthy children. Gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) was used for
determining functional status. Spasticity was evaluated by using modified Ashworth scale. Fatigue symptom inventory (FSI) was used for assessing maternal
fatigue, Nottingham health profile (NHP) for maternal QoL, and Beck Depression
Scale (BDS) for maternal depression. RESULTS: Mothers of children with CP scored
significantly higher in all FSI subgroups (intensity of fatigue, duration of
fatigue and interference with QoL), all NHP subgroups and BDS (p < 0.05) when
compared with controls. FSI was found to be correlated with BDS and all subgroups
of NHP (p < 0.01). No association was found between FSI and clinical parameters
of children with CP including age, gender, type of CP, tonus and functional
impairment (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that fatigue levels of
mothers with CP children are higher than those with healthy children and
associated with depression and deterioration in QoL in terms of physical, social
and emotional functioning.
This should be considered while designing a family
centred rehabilitation programme for children with CP. Implications for Rehabilitation Caring for a child with cerebral palsy has psychological, social
and financial impacts on familiesand is associated with increased levels of
fatigue among mothers.
The capacity of current programs and services needs to be
strengthened to accommodate theneeds of children with CP and their mothers in
order to reduce fatigue of mothers. New programs need to be developed to provide
psychosocial support for the mothers andto reduce their fatigue as they continue
to care for their children. Provision of assistive technology devices (particularly suitable wheelchairs) will be useful inreduction of fatigue levels
of mothers.

Langue : ANGLAIS