Development of a functional eating and drinking ability classification system for individuals with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Disorders of movement and posture associated with cerebral palsy (CP) often lead to childhood difficulties with feeding, eating, drinking and swallowing which extend into adulthood. The consequences of compromised eating and drinking skills include respiratory disease, due to food and fluid entering the lungs, and malnutrition, leading to poor growth and health. There is no agreement in clinical and research contexts about the classification of eating and drinking abilities of people with CP to reflect severity of limitations to function. The study aim was to develop a valid and reliable system to classify eating and drinking performance of people with CP, using a pragmatic Mixed Methods approach.

Date of Award	1 Jan 2014
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton