A survey on the actual conditions of yogurt ingestion and its physical properties in the handicapped children

Abstract

【Purpose】Yogurt (“YG”) is a food which is frequently ingested by children with dysphagia. A number of YGs are now commercially available and the physical properties vary among different products. This study therefore examined the required conditions of YG for oral function in handicapped children.

【Subjects and methods】Among the guardians of 50 handicapped children who have continuously visited an outpatient clinic for treatment of dysphagia in regional medical institutes and care educational centers, a questionnaire survey was performed concerning the ingestion state of YG. Furthermore, the background disease as well as the eating/swallowing function was investigated by referring to individual medial charts in the outpatients' clinic involved. Finally, 12 kinds of commercially available YG and some baby foods which are frequently ingested by the subjects were tested for mechanical and physical properties.

【Results】YG was ingested twice a day in 42％ of them. No subject suffered choking when ingesting YG. The commercially available YG, products tested showed some differences in their mechanical and physical properties, which corresponded to the physical properties of commercially available baby foods commonly used during early to medium weaning periods. With augmented solidity stress, the adhesion of YG was revealed to be significantly enhanced but the agglutination to be significantly reduced.

【Discussion】This survey found that YG is ingested daily by handicapped children and thus it seemed to be an important food. In addition, it was found that the guardians generally recognized that the commercialy available YG products tested showed some differences in mechanical and physical properties, so it is necessary to choose the required conditions of YG which are appropriate for the oral function in handicapped children. In general, deglutition becomes difficult when the adhesion of food is enhanced and the agglutination is reduced. Because the adhesion of YG was revealed from this study to increase with further reduced agglutination in response to the augmented solidity stress, it is suggested that the solidity of YG could be used as an index of its mechanical/physical properties.