Impact of Motor and Oral Motor Function on Quality of Life in Children With SMA

The test used to assess children's development levels evaluates the child's development in six parameters: gross motor function, fine motor function, neurological status, infant movement patterns, postural development and sensory-motor function (tactile, proprioceptive, ocular and vestibular systems) on a scale of 1 to 5. High scores are interpreted as motor dysfunction.

It is a scale consisting of a total of 7 levels and two sections, developed by Crary et al. to indicate the functional oral intake of patients with dysphagia. A higher score indicates a better nutritional level.

The scale used to determine eating problems in children evaluates both the child's nutritional status and the parents' feelings about the child's nutritional status. It consists of 35 items in total and is scored from 1 to 5. High scores indicate problematic eating behaviors and habits.

The PedsQL assesses health-related quality of life in children ages 2 to 18 years with chronic illnesses from both the child's and parents' perspectives. It consists of 25 items and 3 categories (About My Child's Neuromuscular Disease, Communication, About Our Family Resources). The Neuromuscular Module was used to assess the quality of life of the children in our study and was answered by the parents only. The scale is scored from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.