The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral sensorimotor treatment on oral-motor skills and measures of growth in moderately eating impaired children with cerebral palsy who were stratified by state of aspiration/nonaspiration. Twenty-seven children aged 2.5-10.0 years participated in this study (aspiration: n = 7, nonaspiration: n = 20). Weight and skinfold measures were taken. Children were observed at lunch time and six domains of feeding were examined: spoon feeding, biting, chewing, cup drinking, straw drinking, swallowing, and drooling. Children underwent 10 weeks of control and 10 weeks of sensorimotor treatment, 5-7 minutes/day, 5 days/week. Treatment compliance for the entire group was 67%. Children who aspirated had significantly poorer oral-motor skills in spoon feeding, biting, chewing, and swallowing than children who did not aspirate. There was significant improvement in eating: spoon feeding (fewer abnormal behaviors, p < 0.03), chewing (more normal behaviors, p < 0.003), and swallowing (more normal behaviors, p < 0.008). There were no significant changes in drinking skills. Children as a group maintained their pretreatment weight-age percentile but did not show any catch-up growth. Children showed adequate energy reserves as measured by skinfold thicknesses. Improvement in oral-motor skills may help these children to ingest food more competently (i.e., less spillage). However, their weight remains at the lowest level of age norms.

SUMMARY Twenty‐seven children (mean age 5.1 years) with cerebral palsy and moderate eating impairment were studied to determine frequency of aspiration and the effect of 10 and 20 weeks of oral sensorimotor therapy on eating efficiency and measures of growth (weight, skinfold thickness). The eating efficiency of the children did not change markedly in response to oral sensorimotor therapy. Children maintained their centile rank in weight‐for‐age and skinfold‐for‐age measurements. However, there was no catch‐up growth. The findings suggest that eating efficiency is not a good estimator of treatment outcome, but rather a diagnostic indicator of the severity of eating impairment. Monitoring of these children's growth is essential in order to provide nutritional rehabilitation as soon as their eating skills can no longer keep up with growth demands. RÉSUMÉ Effet dcar;tin traitement sensorimoteur de la région untie stir les mesurcs de la croissance, de lcar;efficience à s'alimenter et à aspirer cite:, des enfains IMC dysphagicpies Vingt‐sept enfants IMC (moyenne dcar;âge 5.1 ans) présentant des troubles modérées de lcar;alimentation ont étéétudiés pour déterminer la fréquence de lcar;aspiration et les effets de 10 à 20 semaines de traitement sensori‐nioteur de la zone orale pour apprécier lcar;efficaeité de lcar;alimentalion et la croissance (poids, épaisseur du pli cutainé). lcar;efficience alimentaire des enfants ne changea guère en réponse au traitement sensorimotcur oral. Les enfants restèent dans le même percentile du poids pour lcar;age et du pli pour lcar;age. II n'y eu pas de rattrapage de croissance. Ces données suggérent que lcar;efficience alimentaire n'est pas un bon indicaleur du devenir après traitement, mats plutôt un indicateur diagnostic de la gravité de la perlubation alimentaire. La surveillance de la croissance de ces enfants est essentielle pour permettre une correction nutritionnelle lorsque le comportcment alimentaire ne répond pas aux demandes de la croissance. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Der Einfluß einer oralen sensomoiorisclten lichandlung anf Wachstum, EvsZerltalten ttitd Aspiralions‐häfigkeil bet dysphaxischen Kindern mil Cerebralpare. se Sieben und zwanzig Kinder (mittleres Alter 5.1 Jahre) mit Cerebralparesc und leichten Eßstorungen wurden untersucht, uni die Aspirations‐häufigkeit und den EinfluEsZ einer 10–20‐wiöchigen oralen sensomotorischen Behandlung auf das Eßverhalten und auf Wachstumsparameter (Gewicht, Hautfaltendicke) zu bestimmen. Das ßJverhalten hat sich durch die orale sensomotorischc Behandlung nicht wesentlich geändert. Die Kinder blieben in ihrem Perzentilenbereich für das Gewicht bezogen auf das Alter und für die Hautfaltendicke bezogen auf das Alter. Es gab kein Aufholwachstum. Die Befunde zeigen, daG das Eßverhalren kein guter Parameter für den Therapieerfolg ist. sondern eher ein diagnostischer Indikator für den Schweregrad der Eßstörung. Die Ubcrwachung des Wachstums dieser Kinder ist notwendig, urn die Ernahrung zu untersiytzebm sobald ihre eigene Nahreungsaufnahme für die Anfo...