J Korean Dysphagia Soc 2024; 14(Suppl 1): 126-135
Published online December 20, 2024
© The Korean Dysphagia Society.
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, 2DAVINCI Hospital Occupational Therapy, Daejeon, Korea
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence, status, severity, frequency, and impact on life of drooling in children with cerebral palsy.
Methods: A total of 74 children with cerebral palsy, aged 2-6 years (53.68±17.33 months), who exhibited drooling symptoms were assessed using the Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale (DSFS) and the Drooling Impact Scale (DIS) to determine the status, severity, frequency, and impact of drooling in drooling group and control group. The study also examined differences in drooling-related factors based on gender, age, and prematurity status.
Results: The overall prevalence of drooling was 60.8%, 35.6% in those with spastic quadriplegia, and 77.8% in children at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level III-V. Significant differences were found in drooling severity based on gender, prematurity, and age. Higher scores were observed for drooling severity and frequency, frequency of wiping the mouth, and the impact of drooling on the child’s life compare to control group. Although a few had undergone drooling-related treatments, many parents expressed a desire to receive treatment. It was reported that treatment for drooling was primarily provided by occupational therapists through referrals to rehabilitation medicine, with dysphagia rehabilitation and oral motor therapy being the main interventions.
Conclusion: By utilizing standardized assessment tools, the severity of drooling according to the specific conditions of children with disabilities was assessed. It is believed that the necessary steps to be taken include identifying the cause of drooling and setting appropriate treatment goals, followed by the provision for a suitable intervention.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Drooling, Drooling assessment, Drooling prevalence, Swallowing rehabilitation
J Korean Dysphagia Soc 2024; 14(Suppl 1): 126-135
Published online December 20, 2024
Copyright © The Korean Dysphagia Society.
Kyuong-Chul Min, O.T., Ph.D.1, Hee-Soon Woo, O.T., Ph.D.1, Yeong-Soo Son, O.T., Ph.D.2
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, 2DAVINCI Hospital Occupational Therapy, Daejeon, Korea
Correspondence to:Yeong-Soo Son, DAVINCI Hospital Occupational Therapy, 60, Gyeryong-ro 553 beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon 35262, Korea
Tel: +82-42-710-1985, Fax: +82-70-8685-3220, E-mail: wooudar@naver.com
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence, status, severity, frequency, and impact on life of drooling in children with cerebral palsy.
Methods: A total of 74 children with cerebral palsy, aged 2-6 years (53.68±17.33 months), who exhibited drooling symptoms were assessed using the Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale (DSFS) and the Drooling Impact Scale (DIS) to determine the status, severity, frequency, and impact of drooling in drooling group and control group. The study also examined differences in drooling-related factors based on gender, age, and prematurity status.
Results: The overall prevalence of drooling was 60.8%, 35.6% in those with spastic quadriplegia, and 77.8% in children at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level III-V. Significant differences were found in drooling severity based on gender, prematurity, and age. Higher scores were observed for drooling severity and frequency, frequency of wiping the mouth, and the impact of drooling on the child’s life compare to control group. Although a few had undergone drooling-related treatments, many parents expressed a desire to receive treatment. It was reported that treatment for drooling was primarily provided by occupational therapists through referrals to rehabilitation medicine, with dysphagia rehabilitation and oral motor therapy being the main interventions.
Conclusion: By utilizing standardized assessment tools, the severity of drooling according to the specific conditions of children with disabilities was assessed. It is believed that the necessary steps to be taken include identifying the cause of drooling and setting appropriate treatment goals, followed by the provision for a suitable intervention.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Drooling, Drooling assessment, Drooling prevalence, Swallowing rehabilitation
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