Salivary parameters in Brazilian individuals with cerebral palsy who drool

Although drooling of saliva is considered abnormal in a child over 4 years of age, it has been estimated to occur in approximately in 10-37% of children with cerebral palsy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the flow rate, pH and buffering capacity in saliva of Brazilian individuals with cerebral palsy who drool.

Cross-sectional assessment of saliva from 139 individuals with cerebral palsy (3-16 years old) enrolled in a specialized rehabilitation centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil, divided into two groups, according to the presence (G1) or absence (G2) of drooling and controls (G3): G1 consisted of 63 individuals who drool; G2 consisted of 76 who do not drool; and G3 consisted of 47 individuals with no neurological damage of similar age and sex. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected and salivary flow rate (mL/min), initial pH and buffering capacity, by titration of saliva with a constant amount of 0.01 N HCl, were evaluated. The results from G1, G2 and G3 were compared by one-way anova and the χ(2) -test.

A higher percentage of severe drooling (60.3%) was observed compared with moderate (27.0%) and mild (12.7%) in the cerebral palsy individuals who drool and the prevalence of drooling was highest among children and adolescents with spastic quadriplegia. Significant reductions in salivary flow rate, initial pH, buffering capacity of whole saliva in pH range 6.0-6.9 and total buffering capacity occurred in G1 and G2 compared with G3.

All individuals with cerebral palsy present lower flow rate, pH and buffering capacity of saliva, which increases the risk of oral diseases.