Nutritional status and prevalence of dysphagia in cerebral palsy: usefulness of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System scale and correlation with the degree of motor impairment according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System

This is the first study into the usefulness of the EDACS scale in a representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents with CP. Our findings underscore the importance of screening for dysphagia in these patients, regardless of the level of motor impairment, and the need for early treatment to prevent the potential consequences: malnutrition (impaired growth, micronutrient deficiencies, osteopaenia, etc.), microaspiration, or recurrent infections that may worsen patients' neurological status.