Evaluation sheets on oral motor dysfunctions in young infants.

概要

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We prepared evaluation sheets to study oral dysfunctions in young infants. These enabled analysis of response patterns of oral movements such as the rooting reflex, biting reflex, sucking reflex and swallowing reflex. Tests further permitted analysis of the motor patterns of oral movements when the baby sucks a bottle, cries, or rests. We tested and compared 35 normal infants (0-1M) with 16 brain-injured infants included many cerebral palsied infants (2-9M) .<BR>The results were as follows:<BR>1) We agreed with the definitions that have been reported as concerns the response patterns of the sucking and swallowing reflexes in normal babies. For the rooting and biting reflexes, however, we found new patterns in the lower jaw and tongue that have not been reported earlier.<BR>2) In all test items, we observed abnormal patterns in the brain-injured group but not in the normal group. These abnormal patterns were of very high frequency in cerebral palsied infants, particularly in the oral reflexes and bottle-sucking.<BR>When we evaluated 16 brain-injured infants (including 13 cerebral palsied infants) after 3-4 years, we recognized that the 13 cerebral palsied children showed obvious motor dysfunctions of oral movements. We therefore conclude that we can effectually discover motor dysfunctions of oral movements using our evaluation sheets.