Investigation of Swallowing Complaints and Oral Sensory Problems in Children with a History of Preterm Birth

Objective Preterm children face an elevated risk of neurodevelopmental delays and feeding difficulties, necessitating early assessment to support their long-term health. This study investigates swallowing disorders and oral sensory problems in children aged 3-10 years born preterm.

Methods Parents of preterm children completed two validated tools: the Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI-EAT-10) to assess swallowing difficulties and the Oral Sensory Profile (Oral-SP) to evaluate oral sensory processing. Data collected included age, gender, gestational age, height, weight, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay duration, feeding methods (e.g., tube feeding, pacifier, bottle use), medical history, and prior interventions like speech-language therapy.