Frequency of Oral Motor Dysfunction during Feeding and Some of Its Effective Factors in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Feeding problems can limit the participation of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in the daily activities of life, especially feeding and eating. The aim of this study was to determine frequency of primary oral reflexes and oral motor dysfunction in children with CP. This study was a descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study that has been done on children with CP aged 2-15 years old. The participants were chosen by a convenience sampling from the rehabilitation clinics in the city of Arak in 2017. The presence of primary abnormal oral reflexes including Bite, Rooting, and Tongue Thrust was evaluated; and Oral motor assessment scale was used to evaluate oral motor function.Data were analyzed using statistical tests including chi-squared test. This study with research ethics code IR.ARAKMU.REC.1395.82 has been approved by research ethics committee at Arak university of medical sciences, Iran. Based on the present results, the most subjects with primitive oral reflexes (bite, rooting, tongue thrust) were found at levels of IV and V Gross Motor Function Classification System Expanded &Revised(GMFCS E&R) and at level of III Manual Abilities Classification System and type of quadriplegia spastic. The highest frequency of passive in oral motor was observed in level of V and functional in oral motor in levels of I and II GMFCS E&R. Furthermore, there was significant difference between gross motor function and oral motor function. The study results demonstrated a significant difference between GMFCS E&R levels and oral motor function. Therefore, it was suggested that particular attention should be paid to oral motor function in terms of evaluations of gross motor function.