Premium
Feeding and swallowing impairment in children with stroke and unilateral cerebral palsy: a systematic review
Author(s) -
Sherman Victoria,
Greco Elissa,
Moharir Mahendranath,
Beal Deryk,
Thorpe Kevin,
Martino Rosemary
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/dmcn.14094
Subject(s) - dysphagia , cerebral palsy , swallowing , medicine , stroke (engine) , physical therapy , pediatrics , oropharyngeal dysphagia , incidence (geometry) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery , mechanical engineering , engineering , physics , optics
Aim This systematic review targeted frequency estimates of dysphagia (feeding and swallowing problems), related health outcomes, and caregiver burden in children with stroke or unilateral cerebral palsy ( CP ). Method Six electronic databases were searched from their inception to November 2017 along with a manual search of eight relevant journals. Two blinded raters assessed abstracts and full articles for eligibility. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Accepted articles were evaluated for quality. Data were extracted and analysed descriptively. Results Of 1660 abstracts, five met inclusion criteria, of which three focused on stroke and two unilateral CP . Across studies, operational definitions of feeding and swallowing varied. Insufficient details were provided on assessment methods and timing. Reported frequencies of dysphagia ranged from 24.2% to 88.6%. One study reported dysphagia‐related health outcomes and none reported caregiver burden. Interpretation These results suggest that dysphagia is common in children with stroke and unilateral CP ; however, its frequency is yet unknown as is its impact on health and caregiver burden. Availability of a standardized tool to identify dysphagia in these children accurately is a recommended first step to address this evidence gap. What this paper adds There is limited data on the incidence of dysphagia after childhood stroke and unilateral cerebral palsy. Available evidence shows reported dysphagia frequencies from 24.2% to 88.6%. Only one study reported on dysphagia‐related health outcomes. No study reported on caregiver burden.