Reid et al identified risk factors associated with drooling in children with cerebral palsy. Excessive drooling can impact the patient’s and family’s quality of life. The authors are from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne and Royal Children’s Hospital in Australia.
Patient selection: cerebral palsy, ages 7 to 14 years
Risk factors for drooling in a patient with cerebral palsy:
(1) poor gross motor function
(2) poor head control
(3) eating difficulties
(4) inability to sustain lip closure
(5) anterior open bite
(6) epilepsy
(7) non-spastic motor type
(8) quadriplegic or hemiplegic topographical pattern of motor impairment
(9) limited or no useful speech
(10) intellectual disability
A child with risk factors should be evaluated for drooling and its impact assessed.
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