[Clinical effect of functional chewing training in treatment of oral motor dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial].

Objective: To study the effect of functional chewing training (FuCT) on masticatory function, the severity of tongue thrust, and the severity and frequency of drooling in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: A prospective study was performed for 48 children who were diagnosed with oral motor dysfunction from January 2019 to January 2020, and they were randomly divided into an FuCT group and an oral motor training group, with 24 children in each group. Both groups received FuCT or oral motor training for 12 weeks, and then they were evaluated in terms of the changes in the masticatory function, the severity of tongue thrust, and the severity and frequency of drooling.

Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in the masticatory function, the severity of tongue thrust, and the severity and frequency of drooling before treatment (P>0.05). After the 12-week training, the FuCT group showed significant improvements in the masticatory function and the severity of tongue thrust and drooling (P<0.05), but with no improvement in the frequency of drooling (P>0.05), while the oral motor training group had no improvements in the masticatory function, the severity of tongue thrust, and the severity and frequency of drooling (P>0.05). After the 12-week training, the FuCT group had more significantly improvements in the severity of tongue thrust and the severity and frequency of drooling than the oral motor training group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: FuCT can effectively improve the masticatory function, the severity of tongue thrust, and the severity and frequency of drooling in children with cerebral palsy.