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Alignment during feeding and swallowing: does it matter? A review.
1Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx 10468-1569, USA. jfwest@earthlink.net
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|April 3, 2004
Summary
Proper body alignment may help improve feeding in children with cerebral palsy by reducing muscle tone. However, more research is needed to confirm if alignment also lowers aspiration risk in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Patients with cerebral palsy often experience feeding difficulties and are at high risk for aspiration.
- Clinicians frequently recommend proper body alignment to address these issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically assess the evidence supporting the use of body alignment for improving feeding and reducing aspiration risk in patients with neuromotor disorders.
- To identify gaps in current research regarding the efficacy of body alignment for aspiration prevention.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and critical appraisal of existing studies.
- Analysis of evidence on the effects of body alignment on extensor tone and feeding performance.
- Evaluation of data related to aspiration risk in the context of body alignment.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that proper body alignment can reduce extensor tone and improve feeding in patients with cerebral palsy.
- Current research is insufficient to definitively conclude that body alignment reduces the high risk of aspiration in this population.
Conclusions:
- Body alignment shows promise for improving feeding outcomes in neuromotor disorders.
- Further rigorous research is essential to establish the role of body alignment in mitigating aspiration risk.