Eating with SMA: What Nobody Understands
For some individuals with SMA, eating itself can become physically exhausting because the condition may weaken the muscles involved in chewing, swallowing, jaw movement, head control, posture, and even bringing food to the mouth. Research has documented feeding challenges across the SMA spectrum, including chewing problems, prolonged mealtimes, choking, difficulty opening the jaw, swallowing problems, and aspiration.
Eating with SMA can also involve concerns that are largely invisible to others. Weak swallowing muscles may allow food or liquid to enter the airway instead of traveling safely toward the stomach, a problem known as aspiration, while fatigue can make chewing progressively harder as a meal continues. Nutrition decisions may need to account for difficulty chewing and swallowing, aspiration risk, reflux, constipation, weight concerns, and the possibility of using softer foods, smaller meals, supplemental nutrition, or feeding tubes when medically appropriate.
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