A Scoping Review of Oral Feeding Skill Development in Typically Developing Children Part II: Exploring Variability in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders
• Developmental pediatrics
• Speech-language pathology

Background:

• Oral feeding skills are crucial for infant development and health.
• Existing literature shows variability in describing and classifying feeding skills.
• A standardized approach is needed for consistent assessment and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize literature on oral feeding skills development.
• To propose a framework for standardizing terminology and observable skills.
• To build upon previous findings in a two-part series.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Analysis of 11 studies with unique skill descriptions from a prior review.
• Categorization of skills into texture, oral function, and swallowing phases.

Main Results:

• Identified 107 distinct feeding skills, highlighting significant variability in definitions.
• Categorization revealed key gaps and inconsistencies in current literature.
• Established a foundation for a standardized classification system.

Conclusions:

• A standardized observational measure for feeding skills is needed.
• Such a measure, based on texture, oral function, and swallowing phases, would enhance clinical and research consistency.
• Future work will refine this skill set for tool development.