Drooling of saliva in children with cerebral palsy- etiology, prevalence, and relation ship to salivary flow rate in an Indian population

Resident: Roberts
Date: 5/7/2010
Article title: Drooling of saliva in children with cerebral palsy- etiology, prevalence, and relation ship to salivary flow rate in an Indian population
Author: Hegde, Amitha; Pani Sharat.
Journal: Special Care Dentistry
Volume: 29(4)
Year: 2009
Background:
Drooling is the escape of excess saliva from the mouth. It is commonly seen in normal infants and usually subsides by 15-18 months of age as a consequence of physiological maturity of orofacial motor function. Some studies indicate that drooling beyond an appropriate age is due to increased salivation and decreased or ineffective swallowing. Other studies and reviews of literature show it is mainly due to a swallowing defect caused by poor neuromuscular coordination.
In this study, the prevalence of drooling, the impact of various etiological factors on it severity, and its relationship to salivary flow rate were assessed in 113 individuals (6-18 yrs old) with cerebrals palsy(74 males and 39 females). The severity of drooling was assessed by visual examination, demographics and data regarding severity and control of drooling were collected via a questionnaire. Data concerning the type of CP and medications the patient was on was obtained by medical records
Results:
48.7% of patients reported drooling. 17.7% reported severe drooling. Individuals with athetosis had the least severe amount of drooling. There was a significant relationship between the ability to close the mouth and the severity of drooling. The severity of drooling was reduced with age. There was no significant difference in the mean salivary flow rate of those children who drooled and those who did not. No signicant difference between drooling in children with and without intellectual disability was found.
Conclusion:
The incidence of drooling among CP patients was almost 50%. Drooling of saliva may regress spontaneously with age, but speech therapy and the ability to close the mouth has the greatest effect against drooling.

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