Early Feeding Abilities in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Parental Report Study.

PURPOSE: The goals of this study were to 1) describe the feeding skills of young children with cerebral palsy (CP); and 2) elucidate the type and severity of feeding problems for children with and without oral-motor involvement. METHOD: Parents of 37 children (16 females, 21 males) with CP, who ranged in age from 11-58 months (mean age = 41 months), completed questionnaires regarding their child's past and current feeding abilities. Children were also clinically evaluated to determine whether each had evidence of oral-motor involvement. RESULTS: Children with CP and oral-motor involvement had significantly more difficulty with self-feeding, increased frequency of coughing and choking, increased prevalence of swallowing evaluation and feeding therapy, and were introduced to solid food at a later age relative to children with CP who did not have oral-motor involvement. Both groups of children were similar in their history of tube feeding, bottle feeding, difficulty with solid foods, use of adaptive equipment, duration of mealtimes, and presence of choking, coughing, and gagging. CONCLUSIONS: Children with and without oral-motor involvement initially presented with similar feeding difficulties. However, feeding problems appeared to resolve to a greater extent in children without oral-motor involvement. The difficulties identified early in life, for children with oral-motor involvement, appeared to persist with development.