DOZ047.50: Patterns of sensory processing in children with esophageal atresia

Abstract

Abstract Esophageal atresia (EA) is a congenital anomaly requiring neonatal surgery, medical treatment, extended hospitalization, and rehabilitation. Occupational therapists offer a unique perspective on the sensory aspects of behavior. From a sensory processing and integrative perspective, the behaviors are related either to generate or avoid sensory stimulation. Determining the child's threshold for tolerating sensory stimuli helps families and professionals to understand the child's reaction to life experiences additionally help to develop skills such as learning, attention, and somatosensory awareness of the body. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the sensory responses of children with EA and typically developing children (TDC). Sensory Profile is a parent-reporting measure, which assesses children's sensory responses in daily life. Parents response the frequency of their child responds to 125 commonly occurring experiences. Items assess eight categories: auditory, visual, activity level, taste/smell, body position, movement, touch, and emotional/social and nine factors as sensory seeking, emotional reactive, low endurance/tone, oral sensory sensitivity, inattention/distractibility, poor registration, sedentary, fine motor/perceptual. The measure is determined by a Likert scale. Parents of 12 children (5.60 ± 2.07 years/min: 3; max: 8) with EA and parents of 12 TDC (4.23 ± 1.14 years/min: 3; max: 8) matched by age and gender completed the Sensory Profile. The results were analyzed with the SPSS 18. Children with EA differed significantly from TDC children in their sensory responsiveness based on Sensory Profile results in the areas of auditory, tactile, vestibuler, taste and smell processing (P < 0.05) and sensory seeking, emotional reactive, low endurance/tone, oral sensory sensitivity, inattention/distractibility, poor registration factors (P < 0.05). The Sensory Profile can contribute to diagnostic and rehabilitation planning processes and increase understanding of the nature of sensory problems of children with EA. Further studies should be designed with extended groups to generate the results and the effects of interdisciplinary rehabilitation programmes including sensory- based occupational therapy must be analyzed on children diagnosed with EA.