Impact of asthma on children's gustatory sensitivity, masticatory and feeding behavior

Author(s)

Cinthya Jeanette Arias Guillén

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba
• Defense date: 2019-02-27

Examining board members

Paula Midori Castelo; Fernanda Miori Pascon; Renata Cristina Faria Ribeiro de Castro

• Advisor: Maria Beatriz Duarte Gavião; Paula Midori Castelo

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in which the incoordination between breathing, chewing and swallowing may impact the child¿s eating behavior. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of asthma on taste sensitivity, chewing and eating behavior in children. The sample consisted of 91 children aged between 6 and 7 years old of both sexes. A group of asthmatic children who were treated at the Children's Asthma Outpatient Clinic in the city of Piracicaba (SP) (Asthma Group; n=46) and a control group (Control Group; n=45) were composed. By means of interviews with parents/guardians and clinical examination, socio-demographic and medical, dental and feeding history data were verified. Taste sensitivity was determined by checking the detection threshold of sucrose and urea (sweet and bitter, respectively) with specific methodology for this age. The evaluation of breathing and masticatory functions was performed by the validated instrument Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with scores-expanded (OMES-e), whose videos were analyzed using blinded procedure by a trained and calibrated speech therapist. The evaluation of eating behavior was performed after transcultural adaptation of the Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale application, which explores oral motor and sensory aspects, appetite, maternal concerns about nutrition, child's behavior during meals, strategies of the caregivers used and reactions to the child's diet. The two groups did not differ in sociodemographic characteristics. In the masticatory aspect, the frequency of normal incision of the food and of food escape differed between the groups, although the total OMES-e Chewing and Breathing domain scores did not differ. In addition, it was observed that the asthma group required more time and a greater number of masticatory cycles to eat the test-food. The threshold of gustative sensitivity to sweet and bitter also differed between the two groups, and asthmatic children needed tastants with higher concentrations to differentiate better the tastant and the water. The frequency of children classified as having no feeding difficulty, mild, moderate and severe difficulty was different between the groups, as well as the asthma group presented higher scores on the feeding scale (greater difficulty). The scale presented adequate reliability results after cultural adaptation. Therefore, important changes in taste, chewing and eating behavior were observed in asthmatic children, which should be considered in planning, decision making and effective interventions (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/02904-5 - Asthma's impact on children´s gustatory sensitivity, masticatory and feeding behavior
• Grantee: Cinthya Jeanette Arias Guillén
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master