Assessing Dysphagia in the Child

Abstract

Swallowing problems in children can occur for a variety of reasons, and assessment varies based on the age of the child, underlying medical problems, and results of the clinical swallow evaluation. The need for interdisciplinary management with speech language pathologists skilled in the management of children with dysphagia is imperative to identify the components of swallowing that are impaired and provide specific recommendations for safe and adequate nutrition supporting growth, development, and oral feeding if possible. This study focuses on the types of assessment tools available and how and when they are utilized for children of different ages and abilities.

Keywords: Bottle-feeding; Breast-feeding; Dysphagia; FEES; Modified barium swallow; Swallow; VFSS; Video swallow.