Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia

Dysphagia in children poses a significant health concern. Difficulties in swallowing can lead to an impairment in food intake and malnutrition, as well as a risk of aspiration and pneumonia. It is a life-threatening condition, especially for newborns and infants. Children with dysphagia and their pa...

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Main Authors: Monika Budkowska, Wojciech Kolanowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5727
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author Monika Budkowska
Wojciech Kolanowski
author_facet Monika Budkowska
Wojciech Kolanowski
author_sort Monika Budkowska
collection DOAJ
description Dysphagia in children poses a significant health concern. Difficulties in swallowing can lead to an impairment in food intake and malnutrition, as well as a risk of aspiration and pneumonia. It is a life-threatening condition, especially for newborns and infants. Children with dysphagia and their parents are experiencing increased anxiety and stress. Traditional methods of dysphagia therapy involve manual exercises of the orofacial muscles and modifications of the diet to fit the child’s abilities. These methods often do not achieve the desired results, which prompts researchers to look for new solutions to increase the effectiveness of standard therapy. One promising approach is neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) applied to muscles involved in the process of swallowing. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and discuss the feeding difficulties associated with pediatric dysphagia, as well as the possibility of NMES application in its treatment. It is anticipated that NMES, by enhancing muscles that regulate swallowing, may improve the nutritional status of children with dysphagia. More research is needed to show that NMES is effective in improving the feeding and nutritional status of children with dysphagia.
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spelling doaj-art-746bb83a31d14c56ab6d88d03a8738e82025-08-20T02:33:39ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011510572710.3390/app15105727Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with DysphagiaMonika Budkowska0Wojciech Kolanowski1Doctoral School, Medical University of Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, PolandFaculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, PolandDysphagia in children poses a significant health concern. Difficulties in swallowing can lead to an impairment in food intake and malnutrition, as well as a risk of aspiration and pneumonia. It is a life-threatening condition, especially for newborns and infants. Children with dysphagia and their parents are experiencing increased anxiety and stress. Traditional methods of dysphagia therapy involve manual exercises of the orofacial muscles and modifications of the diet to fit the child’s abilities. These methods often do not achieve the desired results, which prompts researchers to look for new solutions to increase the effectiveness of standard therapy. One promising approach is neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) applied to muscles involved in the process of swallowing. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and discuss the feeding difficulties associated with pediatric dysphagia, as well as the possibility of NMES application in its treatment. It is anticipated that NMES, by enhancing muscles that regulate swallowing, may improve the nutritional status of children with dysphagia. More research is needed to show that NMES is effective in improving the feeding and nutritional status of children with dysphagia.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5727dysphagiaswallowing disorderfeeding disordersneuromuscular electrical stimulation
spellingShingle Monika Budkowska
Wojciech Kolanowski
Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
Applied Sciences
dysphagia
swallowing disorder
feeding disorders
neuromuscular electrical stimulation
title Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
title_full Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
title_fullStr Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
title_full_unstemmed Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
title_short Electrical Stimulation May Improve the Feeding and Nutritional Status of Children with Dysphagia
title_sort electrical stimulation may improve the feeding and nutritional status of children with dysphagia
topic dysphagia
swallowing disorder
feeding disorders
neuromuscular electrical stimulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5727
work_keys_str_mv AT monikabudkowska electricalstimulationmayimprovethefeedingandnutritionalstatusofchildrenwithdysphagia
AT wojciechkolanowski electricalstimulationmayimprovethefeedingandnutritionalstatusofchildrenwithdysphagia