Identification of Children With Cerebral Palsy Unable to Maintain a Normal Nutritional State

Sucking and swallowing in infants and diagnostic tools

“…26 The eating and drinking patterns of 34 former preterms (with an average gestational age of 34 weeks) and 21 healthy infants born at term were studied from 6 to 12 months. 50 At the age of 6 months, 12 former preterms were more likely to vomit and were slightly more inclined to cough when fed viscous food. At the age of 12 months, the same 12 children had more problems with small chunks in their food and they coughed much more often when eating chewable food.…”

“…Several studies found that both feeding problems and nutritional problems are most common in children with severe disability. 2,50 Gisel and Patrick 43 suggest that early quantitative assessment of feeding efficiency should be made to identify infants who cannot be nourished adequately without ancillary feeding. The identification of risk factors associated with malnutrition is important for its early detection and treatment and for the prevention of later behavioral, health and growth consequences.…”

Psychosocial aspects of feeding children with neurodisability

“…4 Pulmonary aspiration is also common (where food or fluid enters the airway). 5 Caregivers, usually mothers, report prolonged mealtimes, which can be experienced as stressful. 6 In some cases, caregivers spend in excess of three hours per day feeding with individual mealtimes lasting more than half an hour.…”

The child with multiple impairments

“…Although a complete discussion of nutrition is beyond the scope of this paper, important nutritional issues, such as weight gain (either insufficient [6] or excessive [7]), fat stores, a special diet in cases of metabolic disorders, the 'nutriceutical' role of high doses of vitamins (8), feeding problems (including difficult deglutition) (9), gastroesophageal reflux (10), possible aspiration (11), and constipation (12) should be addressed by the physician on a regular basis.…”