Parental Experiences of Managing Pediatric Dysphagia in Children with Cerebral Palsy

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Published: 2026-03-15
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61919/22jy7r98
Keywords:
Cerebral palsy; pediatric dysphagia; feeding difficulties; caregiver experience; mothers; qualitative research; thematic analysis.

Main Article Content

Sana Ali
MS Speech and Language Pathology and Hearing Sciences, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Anum Ashraf
Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Ruqqia Bano
House Officer, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Areej Tahir
Senior Speech Therapist, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Pediatric dysphagia is a clinically important complication in children with cerebral palsy and may affect feeding safety, nutrition, respiratory health, growth, and family routines. Although clinical management of dysphagia has been widely discussed, less attention has been given to how caregivers experience daily feeding challenges, emotional stress, home-based adaptations, and access to professional support. Objective: To explore mothers’ experiences of managing pediatric dysphagia in children with cerebral palsy, with attention to mealtime challenges, safety concerns, feeding adaptations, caregiver burden, and perceived support needs. Methods: This interpretative qualitative study included 14 mothers of children with cerebral palsy and dysphagia recruited through purposive sampling from hospital and rehabilitation settings in Lahore, Pakistan. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through thematic analysis. Demographic characteristics were summarized descriptively. Results: Six themes were identified: mealtime stress and disruption of daily life, safety concerns related to choking and aspiration, home-based feeding adaptations, nutritional management and food texture modification, caregiver burden and financial strain, and professional guidance and support needs. Mothers described feeding as prolonged, stressful, and shaped by fear of choking, aspiration, poor nutrition, and weight loss. They used texture modification, posture support, special utensils, distraction-free spaces, and frequent meals, but these strategies increased time, financial, and emotional burden. Conclusion: Mothers experienced pediatric dysphagia as a multidimensional caregiving challenge requiring practical feeding support, affordable multidisciplinary services, caregiver education, and emotional support. The findings should inform family-centered dysphagia care for children with cerebral palsy.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 5 (2026)

Section

Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
Sana Ali et al. 2026. Parental Experiences of Managing Pediatric Dysphagia in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Journal of Health, Wellness and Community Research. 4, 5 (Mar. 2026), 1–10. DOI:https://doi.org/10.61919/22jy7r98.

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