الفهرس 
FEEDING AND SWALLOWING PROCESSES AND THEIR DISORDERSOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) is defined as “impaired oral intake that isn’t age-appropriate and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skills, and/or psychosocial dysfunction leading to inability to consume sufficient food and liquids to meet nutritional and hydration requirements”.
Swallowing disorder or dysphagia is defined as any disruption of the normal swallow mechanism of the preparatory transport of a bolus from the oral cavity through both pharynx and esophagus to the stomach.
Feeding/swallowing disorders not only have a severe impact on children’s health, growth, and development, but also on the quality of life of the family. They may have negative health consequences which can be stressful for caregivers as they are required to provide care for their children in the home environment.
It is useful, therefore, for clinicians to understand the impact of these problems on parent and family to improve the formulation of solutions helping the family and the child and for tailoring interventions for long-term success.
The aim of this study is to develop a screening tool to measure the impact of children’s feeding/swallowing difficulties on their caregivers, as understanding the specific concerns of these caregivers may provide health care providers and funding sources with information on which to base management recommendations and ultimately improve the care provided to affected children.
The Arabic Egyptian Feeding/Swallowing Disorder Impact Questionnaire (AEFSDIQ) assesses the impact of children’s feeding/swallowing problems on their caregivers and it consists of 4 subscales including; Parental or Family Activities, Personal Emotional, Financial Burden and Difficulties in Feeding the Child.
The questionnaire was directed to the parent/caregiver. The questions were designed in the colloquial Egyptian Arabic (CEA) and in an easy form that would be feasible for the caregivers to understand.
After application of the questionnaire on a sample of caregivers whose children complaining of feeding/swallowing problems, the results showed that about half of the caregivers included in the study had severe to very severe burden, confirming the negative consequences of these disorders on the parents and the family.