Drooling ang feeding investgation of relationship betweeen growing person with quadriparetic cerebral palsy

The purpose of this study is to investigate drooling and feeding the relationship between growing. 56 children with quadriparetic Cerebral palsy who are between 2-15 years old and their parents or caregivers were included. Saliva flow severity and frequency of cases were evaluated with Thomas-Stonell and Greenberg Scale (Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale, DFSS). Cases whose saliva intensity value was 1 were included not drooling group (group 2 (n=27)). Cases whose saliva intensity value was 2, 3, 4 or 5 were included drooling group (group 1 (n=29)). Gestational age, birth weight, postnatal term absorption function, nutrition, head control, height, weight, age, body mass index (BMI), gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) and growth were evaluated. Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) used to assess feeding behavior. The evaluations were performed in both two groups. In gestational age, feeding behavior, eating ability, head control, gagging, nutritional status (malnutrition, normal nutrition, overweight-obese), to be underweight status were found among the significant difference (p<0.05) between two groups. When the head control increased, drooling severity was decreased. When drooling severity increased, age of body mass index (BMI) was decreased. Independence of eating ability in not drooling group was higher. In this study, it was determined that drooling affects nutrition and growth. Drooling was found to be affected by head control. Nutritional status, weight for age, height for age growth curves was found to be affected by the GMFCS level.