Botox injection in treatment of sialorrhea in children with cerebral palsy.

Background: The occurrence of sialorrhea (drooling) in children with cerebral palsy is one of the important complications of this disease, which is associated with the impaired quality of life of patients and also the dissatisfaction of their parents. Botox injection in the salivary glands is one of the treatment methods that has recently received special attention in these patients, but there are still many challenges regarding its effectiveness and safety. We aimed to test the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type A in reducing sialorrhea in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: This semi-experimental before-after study was performed on 12 children who suffering from sialorrhea. The ethics code of this project is IR.MUI.MED.REC.1400.774 and the clinical trial registry code is IRCT20220516054868N1 (https://www.irct.ir/trial/64393). In each of the parotid and submandibular glands, an amount of 0.5 U/kg of botulinum toxin type A was injected by ultrasound guidance under general anesthesia. Before and 6 months after the intervention, the severity and frequency of drooling were tested by Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale.

Results: We found a decreasing trend in the severity and frequency scores for drooling within one month; however, after that time, until the end of the 24th week, we saw an increasing trend in the intensity and frequency of this complication. Only two-thirds of parents were satisfied with the therapeutic protocol. Side effects related to botox injection were revealed in 25.0% mostly as dysphagia.

Conclusion: Botox injection in salivary glands is not a definitive and stable treatment in the treatment of sialorrhea in children with cerebral palsy.