Question
A one-year-old child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, showing difficulties in lifting the head, rolling over, and unnatural smiles. During the treatment process, the parents sought dietary advice to effectively complement the treatment.
Answer
Children with cerebral palsy often face numerous challenges during eating, such as difficulties in chewing, swallowing problems due to abnormal head and body posture, as well as difficulties in controlling upper limbs and hands, and eye-hand-mouth coordination. When feeding, parents can immediately lift the child’s chin with a finger to prompt them to close their mouth. Additionally, parents can perform massage stimulation around the child’s mouth skin multiple times a day, for 10 minutes each time, to enhance the child’s oral closure ability. When food enters the mouth, if the child is unable to swallow in time, parents can gently massage the bottom of the chin to promote swallowing.