This often causes the arms and legs to become stiffer and move in an uncoordinated way. The breathing muscles cannot move well when the head and shoulders come forward. This makes it more difficult to breathe. It is also difficult to coordinate the breathing with swallowing. Because of this poor coordination, choking may occur as food accidentally goes into the airway.
Food often falls out of the mouth because of the position of the head.
It is often more difficult to open the mouth because the jaw tends to clamp or clench closed when the head is forward with tension in the neck and shoulders. The body pulls or flops to one side, causing the child to fall over in the chair. This usually happens when the head turns to the side. The head usually is pulled backward into extension or forward into flexion. The jaw sometimes pulls to the side, making eating more difficult.