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Effects of oral motor therapy in children with cerebral palsy
Seray Nural Sığan1, Tuğçe Aksu Uzunhan, Nur Aydınlı
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Oral motor therapy significantly improved feeding issues in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This therapy enhanced oral motor skills, benefiting young patients with CP and feeding difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Oral motor dysfunction is prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP), manifesting as difficulties in sucking, swallowing, chewing, and drooling.
- These feeding challenges significantly impact the quality of life and nutritional status of pediatric patients with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of a structured oral motor therapy program in addressing feeding problems in children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- To evaluate the impact of the intervention on various aspects of oral motor function and feeding capabilities.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, prospective study involving 81 children (12-42 months) with CP and oral motor dysfunction.
- Participants were assigned to either a 6-month oral motor training group or a control group, receiving standard physiotherapy.
- Assessments included the Oral Motor Assessment Form, Functional Feeding Assessment (FFA), and Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) before and after the intervention.
Main Results:
- The training group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in oral motor function and feeding assessments compared to the control group (P < 0.05).
- Post-therapy scores on the FFA and BSID-II indicated enhanced abilities in swallowing, chewing, and overall feeding independence.
Conclusions:
- Oral motor therapy is an effective intervention for improving feeding problems in children with cerebral palsy.
- The findings support the integration of specialized oral motor therapy into the rehabilitation plans for pediatric CP patients experiencing feeding difficulties.
Aim:
Oral motor dysfunction is a common issue in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Drooling, difficulties with sucking, swallowing, and chewing are some of the problems often seen. In this study, we aimed to research the effect of oral motor therapy on pediatric CP patients with feeding problems.
Materials And Methods:
Included in this single centered, randomized, prospective study were 81 children aged 12-42 months who had been diagnosed with CP, had oral motor dysfunction and were observed at the Pediatric Neurology outpatient clinic of the Children's Health and Diseases Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University. Patients were randomized into two groups: The training group and the control group. One patient from the training group dropped out of the study because of not participating regularly. Following initial evaluation of all patients by a blinded physiotherapist and pedagogue, patients in the training group participated in 1 h oral motor training sessions with a different physiotherapist once a week for 6 months. All patients kept on routine physiotherapy by their own physiotherapists. Oral motor assessment form, functional feeding assessment (FFA) subscale of the multidisciplinary feeding profile (MFP) and the Bayley scales of infant development (BSID-II) were used to evaluate oral motor function, swallowing, chewing, the gag reflex, the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, tongue, jaw, and mouth function, severity of drooling, aspiration, choking, independent feeding and tolerated food texture during the initial examination and 6 months later.
Results:
When the initial and post-therapy FFA and BSID-II scores received by patients in the training and the study group were compared, the training group showed a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Oral motor therapy has a beneficial effect on feeding problems in children with CP.
