The Effect of Food Textures on Intake by Mouth and the Recovery of Oral Motor Function in the Child with a Severe Brain Injury

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different food textures on the amount of food intake by mouth and the recovery of oral motor function in children after acquired brain injury. The subjects were three children aged 3, 12, and 14 years with severe brain injury. A single case study with a Latin square design was used to randomly allocate three different food textures (puréed, minced, and soft) for each of three daily meals for up to 11 days per child. The primary outcomes were the amount of food intake by mouth and oral motor function, as measured by the Behavioral Assessment of Oral Functions in Feeding. Results indicated that texture and the person feeding the child are important variables for intake. The most clinically important conclusion was that the variability in each child with acquired brain injury reinforces the need for an individualized approach to decisions and treatment for feeding.