Eating, drinking, and swallowing abilities in children with cerebral palsy using Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System

Abstract Background Cerebral palsy is a condition characterized by permanent disorders of movement and posture often accompanied by various cognitive, sensory, and musculoskeletal issues. Oro-pharyngeal dysphagia or difficulty eating, drinking, and swallowing is common among children with cerebral palsy leading to significant health risks. This study aimed to translate and validate the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System into Hindi and assess its reliability and validity in identifying eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties in children with cerebral palsy in India. Result A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The Hindi version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System was administered. Its reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, indicating excellent inter-rater reliability (0.957) and strong test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.965). Concurrent validity was examined by comparing the Hindi version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System with the Functional Oral Intake Scale, revealing a strong inverse correlation (Kendall’s tau-b = −0.948). Additionally, the Hindi version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System scores showed a significant positive correlation with levels of gross motor function impairment (Spearman’s correlation = 0.830), suggesting that children with greater motor difficulties also experience more pronounced challenges in eating, drinking, and swallowing. Conclusion The study concludes that the Hindi version of the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System is a reliable and valid tool for classifying eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties in children with cerebral palsy. It highlights the need for further research to explore its application across various cerebral palsy subtypes and its potential to guide interventions aimed at improving eating, drinking, and swallowing abilities.