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Chewing cycles in 4- and 5-year-old normal children: an index of eating efficacy
Insights
Food texture significantly impacts chewing in preschool children. This study measured chewing movements, finding that food type, not age or sex, alters chewing time and cycles, crucial for feeding evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric nutrition
- Child development
- Oral motor function
Background:
- Preschool children's eating movements evolve between ages 2-5 years.
- Objective clinical data on normal children's eating movements is scarce.
- This study complements previous research on tongue movements with chewing movement analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively measure chewing movements in preschool children.
- To establish baseline data for comparing feeding-impaired children.
- To investigate the influence of food type on chewing mechanics.
Main Methods:
- Monitored chewing movements in 40 children (20 four-year-olds, 20 five-year-olds).
- Measured chewing time (sec), number of cycles, and time/cycle ratio.
- Defined a chewing cycle as one upward and downward chin movement.
Main Results:
- Neither age nor sex significantly affected chewing time, cycles, or time/cycle ratio.
- The type of food consumed strongly influenced chewing measures.
- Food texture was identified as a key factor in chewing duration and cycle count.
Conclusions:
- Food texture is a primary determinant of chewing behavior in young children.
- Occupational therapists should standardize food choices during eating evaluations.
- Consistent food selection is vital for reliable re-evaluations of pediatric feeding.
Abstract:
Eating movements in the preschool child undergo change between the ages of 2 and 5 years. There is a lack of objective clinical data from normal children against which eating movements of feeding-impaired children can be compared. In this study, chewing movements were measured to complement tongue movements described in an earlier study. The movements were monitored in 40 children: 20 were four years old and 20 were five years old. Each group had ten boys and ten girls. Chewing movements were measured by time (sec), number of cycles, and a time/cycle ratio. A chewing cycle was defined as an upward and downward movement of the chin. Total time from the moment food was placed in the mouth until the final swallow occurred was divided by the number of cycles counted for the same period. Age and sex did not affect time, cycles, or the time/cycle ratio. However, the measures were strongly affected by the type of food eaten. These findings suggest that the texture of food strongly influences both the number of chewing cycles performed and the time used for chewing. The occupational therapist administering eating evaluations to children should carefully choose the foods offered for initial evaluations and use the same food consistently during re-evaluations.