Review of management of drooling problems in neurologically impaired children: a review of methods and results over 6 years at Chailey Heritage Clinical Services.

Abstract

Drooling can be a difficult problem for a child to endure, both physically and socially, especially if they are also having to cope with physical disabilities. Chailey Heritage Clinical Services and associated School look after a large number of severely physically disabled children and adolescents. This paper reviews the management strategy of the multidisciplinary oral-motor clinic at Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, and reviews the results of children treated between 1990 and 1996. The management ranges from oral-motor skills training through palatal training appliances to surgery. Seventy-eight children, ranging from 3 to 17 years, were treated and there were complete records for 73. Eighteen per cent responded to oral skills training alone. Thirty per cent of children had good results with a palatal training appliance and did not need any further intervention. Forty-seven per cent of patients underwent some form of surgery to control their drooling. Only 8% of children were treated with medication.