Aim The nutritional status and feeding problems in children with cerebral palsy results in growth retardation, increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status and feeding problems of cerebral palsy patients followed up by Medical Faculty of Trakya University, Department of Pediatrics, Division Pediatric Neurology.

Methods The medical histories and full physical examination findings of 66 cerebral palsy patients were recorded as weight, height, body mass indeks, circumference measurements of head, arm, chest, fathom length, biacromial length, lower leg length, and subcutaneous fat thickness of triceps and subscapular region. The 3-day diet for each patient was evaluated by a special computer program called BEBIS. Patients’ blood hemoglobin, iron levels and binding capacity and serum ferritin, vitamin B12, folic acid levels were also evaluated.

Results The majority of patients were Spastic Cerebral Palsy (%89), %6 were Ataxic and %5 were Mixt type (Quadriplegic/ Distonic). The weight, body mass index, subcutaneous fat thickness of subscapular region, biacromial length, arm-chest circumference, blood iron levels, dietary calory and fiber intakes of patients with severly affected cerebral palsy, expecially in the Quadriplegic/Mixt types, were lower than the mild and moderately affected ones.

Conclusions The nutritional status and dietary intakes of the severly affected cerebral palsy are worse than the others in our study, as mentioned in the literature. To prevent complications a multidisciplinary approach and close follow up have to be done.