Quantitative Measures of Food Oral Processing in Weaned Children: a Scoping Review
Year: 2026
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Food oral processing (FoP) prepares boluses to be safe to swallow, across a variety of textures. During the process of weaning, and parallel with the emergence and maturation of dentition, young children transition from milk-sucking behaviour to adult-like eating of textured boluses. Although differences in FoP parameters between adults and children are evident, there is a paucity of information regarding expected measures in children. In this scoping review, we identified and analyzed quantitative measures of FoP obtained from cohorts of weaned children between one and 12 years of age. The review comprised of a literature search across five scientific databases. Reviews were completed by two independent raters in the Covidence platform with discrepancies resolved by consensus.From an original search yield of 44,031 unique articles, 177 were selected for full-text review and 55 were selected for final synthesis. FoP measures in weaned children were obtained using a variety of methods, with observation/video-recording being the most common (15/55). With regard to instrumental measures, either electromyography and/or ultrasound were used to measure muscle activity during mastication (15/55), while 3D optical motion-tracking systems were used to monitor mandibular movements during mastication (6/55). We identified three different types of FoP measures in weaned children: measures of timing and coordination, masticatory effectiveness, and masticatory muscle activity. FoP behaviors in weaned children have been studied using a variety of methods. While high-tech methods are available, low-tech methods such as video-observation have greater potential for clinical application in future.
Source: Figshare
Language: English
Subfield: Speech and Hearing
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7130384697