ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the management of feeding difficulty in children with neurological problems where there is a readily identifiable organic component. It also focuses on the population of children with cerebral palsy. The chapter discusses the prevalence and clinical features of feeding difficulties, or dysphagia, in children with cerebral palsy. Dysphagia is a condition common to many children with neurological impairment. A number of studies have described the nature and extent of dysphagia in cerebral palsy, and the prevalence in children with neurodisability has been reported to range from 58% to 86%. The consequences of dysphagia are widespread and range in severity. At a physiological level, dysphagia may occur due to disruption at one or more of the key stages of feeding, i.e. the oral phase, pharyngeal phase or oesophageal phase. The oral phase involves preparing the food within the oral cavity and transporting it to the back of the mouth in readiness for triggering the swallow.
