Oral-motor dysfunction and feeding disorders of infants with Turner syndrome.

The oral-motor function of 10 infants with Turner syndrome and their age- and sex-matched controls were assessed during feeding. In addition to well-recognised dysmorphic features, including oral anomalies and high-arched palates, index infants had marked hypotonia of the cheeks and lips, dysfunctional tongue movements and poorly developed chewing skills. Their meal-times were significantly shorter than those of the controls and they weighed significantly less at six, 12 and 15 months. All mothers of infants with Turner syndrome complained of difficulties feeding their children and these problems often had been present since birth.