Objective: To determine the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in the management of drooling (sialorrhea) in children and young adults with cerebral palsy.
Design: Twenty-one children were enrolled in an open-label, nonblinded prospective study. Subjective and objective measures were used to determine the effect of botulinum toxin A on drooling and saliva production. Subjective measures included visual scales to document the child's severity and frequency of drooling. Objective measures included the number of bibs used per day and salivary secretion. At the initial visit, subjective and objective measures established the child's baseline drooling and saliva production. Fifteen units of botulinum toxin A was injected into each parotid glans. At each fellow-up visit of telephone survey, subjective and objective measures were recorded to monitor the child's drooling and saliva production. A postinjection questionnaire evaluated overall effect and caregiver satisfaction.
Results: The visual analog scales and number of bibs used per day demonstrated statistically significant reduction in severity and frequency of drooling at 2 wks, 1 mo and 2 mos. Salivary production was significantly reduced at 1-mo fellow-up. Eighty-nine percent of the caregivers reported and improvement of their child's drooling after botulinum toxin A injection. Severity-nine percent of caregivers were satisfied with the treatment and would perform the treatment again.
Conclusion: Intraparotid injections of botulinum toxin A are efficacious in decreasing severity and frequency of drooling, the number of bibs used per day, and the production of saliva in children with cerebral palsy. The injections are relatively safe and adverse effects were observed in this study.