Analysis of occupational therapy interventions in the performance of everyday activities in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate, by means of a careful search for and analysis of articles, the effects of interventions used by occupational therapists to improve the performance of everyday activities in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: the search for literature on the subject was conducted using the electronic databases Ovid, Medline, CINAHL and LILACS, and covered articles published between January 2001 and May 2006, in English or Portuguese, using the following keywords: "occupational therapy", "cerebral palsy", and "child". Four studies were selected, according to previously determined inclusion criteria, and these were evaluated for their methodological quality using the OTSeeker scale. Results: the analysis of the methodological quality of the selected studies revealed scores from low to moderate on the OTSeeker scale. There were differences in relation to the type of intervention used to promote everyday activities, and regarding the outcomes that were investigated. Conclusions: the context in which the child with cerebral palsy is living seems to be an important factor in his/her functional performance. The systematic evaluation of the literature on the effects of Occupational Therapy interventions in promoting everyday activities in children with cerebral palsy may contribute to evidence-based practices among these health professionals.