Nutritional disorders in people with developmental disability: introduction
Nutritional problems, including overweight and obesity, underweight, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common in people with developmental disability. As in the general population, these conditions have significant health consequences—they should not be accepted as inherent to the person’s disability.
Nutritional problems in people with developmental disability can be complex, due to factors such as multimorbidity, physical impairments, polypharmacy and the frequent use of psychotropic medications. People with developmental disability have varying nutritional needs and impairments, and a single dietary guideline does not apply to everyone—guidelines for the general population can be used as an initial reference1. People with developmental disability often have altered energy needs (eg reduced energy needs in a person with low mobility, increased energy needs in a person with tremor). Management complexity may be compounded by communication and cognitive impairments of the individual.
Successful management of nutritional problems in people with developmental disability needs a multidisciplinary approach and close involvement of family members and other support people; see Support for people with developmental disability and nutritional disorders. The general practitioner (GP) has an important role in coordinating medical assessment and management.