Feeding and swallowing difficulties in children with Down syndrome

M A Anil1, S Shabnam2, S Narayanan3

  • 1Masters in Speech Language Pathology, Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.

Insights

Children with Down syndrome often experience feeding and swallowing difficulties due to impaired oral-motor skills. Early feeding assessments are crucial for managing these challenges in children with Down syndrome.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

  • Children with Down syndrome often present with neuromotor and craniofacial abnormalities.
  • These characteristics can impede oral-motor skill development, leading to feeding and swallowing issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess feeding and swallowing problems in children with Down syndrome aged 2-7 years.
  • To identify the prevalence and nature of feeding difficulties in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire-based study was conducted.
  • Participants included 17 children with Down syndrome and 47 typically developing children.

Main Results:

  • Children with Down syndrome exhibited significant feeding difficulties across all swallowing phases, particularly with solids.
  • Poor orosensorimotor abilities were observed in children with Down syndrome, correlating with feeding challenges.
  • Difficulties extended to physical, functional, and emotional aspects of feeding.

Conclusions:

  • Feeding difficulties are prevalent in children with Down syndrome.
  • Orosensorimotor deficits contribute to feeding problems in this population.
  • Feeding assessment should be an integral part of the evaluation for children with Down syndrome.
Abstract

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