Feeding And Nutrition In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disability

This book is written to assist those who have responsibility for the nutritional and gastrointestinal care of children with neurodisability. The emphasis throughout is on the importance of multidisciplinary care. It is concerned with the problems surrounding the nutritional management of children with neurological impairment who have difficulty swallowing and feeding. Written from a multidisciplinary perspective by a group of authors with considerable clinical and research experience in this area, it covers: ? The epidemiology of feeding disorders in children with cerebral palsy ? Nutritional assessment ? Evaluation of oral-motor function ? Dietetic management ? Nursing issues in the nutritional care of the disabled child ? Tube feeding ? Gastrointestinal problems and their investigation

Abstract: The special nutritional needs of developmentally disabled children are addressed in a reference for professionals working with handicapped youngsters. The relationship of nutritional factors to treatment strategies for these disabilities is explored in view of the importance of nutrition to the child's growth and development. Section I discusses nutritional problems in specific developmental disabilities, including Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, minimal brain dysfunction, autism, etc., and suggests clinical techniques for nutritional diagnosis and treatment. Section II describes hereditary metabolic diseases, their nutritional implications and dietary management. Section III reviews nutrient deficiencies associated with physical or mental retardation, emphasizing growth deviations in the malnourished child. Section IV considers preventive nutrition, high risk factors in pregnancy and infancy, and nutritional assessment for early diagnosis and nutritional intervention.

Increasingly more and more children with developmental disabilities survive into adulthood. Pediatricians and other clinicians are called upon to care for an increasing number of children with developmental disabilities in their practice and thus there is a need for a practical guide specifically written for paediatricians and primary care clinicians that addresses major concepts of neurodevelopmental pediatrics. In the United States, the specialty training leading to a conjoint board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, requires a total of 6 years of training (2 years of pediatrics, 1 year of neurology, 18 months of child neurology, 18 months of neurodevelopmental disabilities). As of December 2006, in the US, there were 241 pediatricians and 55 child neurologists certified in the subspecialty of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Thus most of the children with developmental disabilities are seen by pediatricians and therefore it is important for these pediatricians to be well informed of common issues in the field. The 60,000 or so pediatricians in the United States (and hundreds more in other countries) are the main target audience for a practical book on neurodevelopmental pediatrics.

Neurodevelopmental disabilities are a common problem in child health. This book takes a comprehensive approach to addressing these often challenging clinical diagnoses. In particular, it focuses on the two most common of childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities: global developmental delay and developmental language impairment. It seeks to put forward our present conceptualization of these entities as well as their proper evaluation and assessment and diagnosis from a variety of perspectives. It also provides details on our current understanding of the scientific basis of these disorders and their underlying causes. Issues related to medical management, rehabilitation, and eventual outcomes are also addressed in a detailed way. The book has wide appeal to those in paediatrics, developmental paediatrics, child neurology, and paediatric rehabilitation. Its geographic appeal includes both developed and developing nations as some chapters are devoted to the particular issues faced in underdeveloped countries. The book’s focus on both clinical and scientific aspects is invaluable in this field. It also provides extensive information in a single source relating to often-overlooked areas such as medical management, rehabilitation, public policy, and ethics.

Disabled children often have feeding difficulty. Choking, food spillage and protracted mealtimes can pose enormous problems for their carers and the accompanying nutritional deficit imposes additional burdens on the affected child. The aetiology of these problems is placed in context by a detailed description of normal feeding development in infants. The often under-recognised nutritional and neurodevelopmental consequences of inadequate nutrient intake together with the respiratory complications and the important problems of constipation and drooling which may accompany oro-motor dysfunction are detailed. The clinical and nutritional assessment and the application of diagnostic imaging techniques in the evaluation of such children are described. The methods of management of these children's problems form the core of this volume and they range from oro-motor therapy to various techniques for enteral feeding. The ethical issues raised by the vigorous intervention needed to improve the nutritional state of severely disabled children is explored, together with the need to provide ongoing psychological support for their carers.

Abstract: A textbook for non-nutritional professionals (e.g., teachers, therapists) focusing on case studies and clinical group studies discusses various nutritional aspects of developmental disability in children including techniques for evaluating nutritional status; dietary modifications and interventions; elimination diets for sufferers of food allergy or food intolerance; obesity and its treatment; diet therapy; feeding skills and drug-nutrient interactions. Related topics include feeding and eating problems in neuromuscular dysfunctions and growth retardation. Information also is provided on nutrition resources (e.g.; the clinical nutritionalist, community resources, residential institutions, schools, etc.). Basic reference information on vitamin and mineral sources and functions, recommended daily dietary allowances, snack alternatives, exchange lists, and disease prevention diets (with respect to total fat and saturated fat, and sodium) is appended. (WZ).

This handbook provides easily accessible information on the aetiology, assessment and management of nutritional disorders in children with neurodisability.