Dysphagia in Cerebral Palsy Childern

Dysphagia in cerebral palsy children is a condition that makes swallowing difficult or painful. The extent to which dysphagia in cerebral palsy children affects the individual can greatly vary from a mild feeling of discomfort to a complete inability to swallow. The problem can be very serious, especially because dysphagia in cerebral palsy children can lead to malnutrition. Difficulties swallowing the right foods, or infection if the food becomes lodged in the windpipe or in the lungs are complications of dysphagia in cerebral palsy children.

Dysphagia in cerebral palsy children is a result of a lack of coordination or weakness of the muscles associated with swallowing. An estimated 60% of cerebral palsy children experience dysphagia. Dysphagia in cerebral palsy children may be exhibited by a drooping of the palate, a depressed gag reflex, pooling of saliva in the pharynx, a weak cough, and poor control of the tongue. Choking and coughing while eating can be caused by this lack of coordination in swallowing, frequently followed by aspiration, or sucking food into an airway. Aspiration of oral contents introduces bacteria into normally sterile airways, resulting in pulmonary infection and lung damage.

An estimated 60,000 people will die from dysphagia each year. Dysphagia mainly affects cerebral palsy children and stroke sufferers. New treatment methods are being researched to help dysphagia in cerebral palsy children all the time. Most recently, a new electric procedure has been shown to help dysphagia in cerebral palsy children. A device used for electrical stimulation in dysphagia in cerebral palsy children has been developed over time. These devices require extra care because the throat has so many arteries leading to the brain.

In cases where the dysphagia in cerebral palsy children is so severe that the patient is completely unable to swallow, the child can suffer from throat atrophy. Throat atrophy is the wasting or loss of muscle mass from the lack of being able to use the throat muscles.

The swallowing process involves 50 pairs of muscles and the new device is able to attach electrodes to the throat so that electricity can be administered to each pair. Depending on the severity of dysphagia in cerebral palsy children, the voltage will be determined. This treatment method has been used to successfully strengthen the muscles in some dysphagia cerebral palsy children, and has permitted the ability to swallow.

Dysphagia in cerebral palsy children can be an excruciatingly painful and trying on the mental fitness of an individual, as well as their physical and nutritional health. As more and more effective treatment methods are discovered, dysphagia in cerebral palsy children will hopefully become more manageable for those affected. Cerebral palsy can create many struggles for a child and minimizing any symptoms of cerebral palsy can make a great impact. Contact your child's physical therapist to see what types of treatment are available for dysphagia in cerebral palsy children.

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