The Effectiveness of Slightly Thick Liquids for Improving Swallowing in Bottle-Fed Children With Aerodigestive Concerns.

Purpose: Strategies for facilitating safe and functional bottle feeding in children with dysphagia include selecting nipples that reduce flow rate, pacing, altered positioning, and thickening liquid consistencies. We aimed to determine the impact of slightly thick liquids on swallowing through retrospective review of a convenience sample of clinical videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) from 60 bottle-fed children (21 boys and 39 girls, mean age of 9.9 months) referred due to suspected aspiration. Method: Eligible VFSS exams were those in which the child swallowed both thin and slightly thick barium (40% w/v Varibar barium) using the same nipple. VFSS sequences (i.e., uninterrupted portions of the VFSS recording) were randomly assigned in duplicate for rating by trained raters; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Parameters measured included number of swallows/sequence, sucks/swallow, swallow and sequence duration, number and timing of penetration or aspiration events, laryngeal vestibule closure integrity, and pharyngeal residue. Chi-square tests, linear mixed-model analyses of variance, and Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests identified consistency effects. Results: There were no aspiration events in these recordings. Slightly thick liquids resulted in significantly fewer penetration events (p < .05), increased sucks/swallow, fewer swallows/sequence, and longer swallow and sequence durations. The number of children with ≥ 1 sequence showing pyriform sinus residue was significantly higher with slightly thick liquids. Conclusions: Slightly thick liquids can be effective in reducing penetration in bottle-fed children with dysphagia. However, slightly thick liquids may also lead to a safety-efficiency trade-off, with increased risk of pyriform sinus residue. Thickening for children with dysphagia should be considered only when other approaches are not effective. Overthickening should be avoided to limit negative impact on swallowing efficiency.

Aspiration does not mean the end of a breast-feeding relationship.

OBJECTIVE: Breastfeeding is widely recommended as optimal nutrition for infants. However, there are no known publications on the impact of prandial aspiration of breast milk fed infants with dysphagia. The goal of this study was to assess pulmonary outcomes in infants with dysphagia who were given medical clearance for intake of breast milk. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included review of 80 infants examined between August 2016 to March 2021. Patients were evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of providers in a tertiary pediatric aerodigestive center. Patient inclusion criteria included a VFSS with documented aspiration or penetration with thin liquids. Participants met inclusion criteria if given medical clearance for intake of breast milk despite aspiration risk. Pulmonary health was monitored for three months following medical clearance for the consumption of breast milk. Pulmonary illness was defined as development of bronchiolitis, wheezing, unexplained stridor during feeding, croup, pneumonia, or persistent bacterial bronchitis requiring medical intervention. RESULTS: Forty-three males (54%) and 37 females (46%) enrolled in the study with an age range of 1 month-6 months corrected age. Mean age at initial VFSS was 3.6 months. Twenty-six out of 80 (32.5%) had a report of a mild cough but did not require intervention. Eight out of 80 (10%) received a diagnosis of a pulmonary illness. Seventy-two out of 80 (90%) did not report pulmonary illness. CONCLUSION: This pilot study reveals that the majority (90%) of this single institution, small sample size cohort of breast milk fed infants with documented oropharyngeal dysphagia remained healthy despite continued intake of breast milk. Prospective investigation is warranted to follow pulmonary health outcomes longitudinally and a head to head comparative study would be helpful to identify whether there were indeed significant changes to pulmonary health according to differential feeding regimens offered and followed.

Factors associated with frenotomy after a multidisciplinary assessment of infants with breastfeeding difficulties.

OBJECTIVE: Frenotomy for ankyloglossia has increased nearly 10-fold over the past few decades despite insufficient evidence that the procedure improves breastfeeding outcomes. There is no universally accepted method for identifying patients who may benefit from the procedure. The objective of this study is to determine if comprehensive feeding evaluations and targeted interventions can identify children who should undergo procedures, and to identify factors associated with lip or tongue frenotomy to treat breastfeeding difficulties. METHODS: This observational quality improvement study followed infant-mother dyads between March 2018 and December 2019 referred to our tertiary care center for breastfeeding difficulties. Speech and language pathologists performed comprehensive feeding evaluations on infants prior to surgical consultation for frenotomy. Infants' oral anatomy and function and their ability to breast and bottle feed were assessed, and techniques for mothers to address feeding difficulties without a procedure were offered prior to surgical consultation. Infants either found success over a short observation period or underwent procedures (lip and/or tongue frenotomy). RESULTS: 153 patients (mean age 47.0 days (stdev 39.0 days, 56.2% male) were referred for surgical division of the lingual frenulum. Following development of a program utilizing pediatric speech language pathologists to perform feeding evaluations prior to surgical consultation, 69.9% of patients subsequently did not undergo surgical procedures. 11 (23.9%) underwent labial frenotomy alone and 30 (65.2%) underwent both labial and lingual frenotomies. Frenotomy was associated with significantly increased worry subscale of the Feeding Swallow Impact Survey (FSIS) and decreased mean Breastfeeding Self Efficacy Scale score (p = 0.0001, p = 0.006, respectively). Tongue appearance was significantly associated with having a procedure, while lip appearance was not. The Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) was lower in children undergoing tongue and/or lip frenotomy (p = 0.0006), while the Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (HATLFF) appearance and function scores were lower in children undergoing lingual frenotomy with or without lip frenotomy (p = 0.0008, p = 0.0009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients referred for ankyloglossia may benefit from nonsurgical intervention strategies based on findings from comprehensive feeding evaluation. Frenotomy is associated with higher maternal feeding-related worry and reduced breastfeeding self-efficacy scores. While tongue appearance is associated with frenotomy, functional assessment is critical for identifying patients who may also benefit from lip frenotomy.

Long-term swallowing outcomes following type 1 laryngeal cleft injection.

INTRODUCTION: Interarytenoid injection augmentation (IIA) during initial diagnostic endoscopy for aspiration and dysphagia has been described as both a diagnostic and therapeutic technique in the evaluation of type 1 laryngeal cleft (LC-1). IIA is additionally hypothesized to be a temporizing measure that facilitates improvement of swallowing function and potentially obviates the need for future formal endoscopic suture repair of LC-1. However, long-term (>6 month) outcomes of IIA for LC-1 remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of IIA on long-term swallowing outcomes and need for formal endoscopic suture repair in patients with LC-1. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients age ≤24 months with pharyngeal phase dysphagia on preoperative videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) who underwent IIA for LC-1 during diagnostic laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy at a single tertiary care academic subspecialty hospital from June 2017 to May 2018. Included patients underwent VFSS within 30 days of IIA and had documented SLP follow up at 6 months or more post-procedure. Exclusion criteria included prior cleft repair, gastrostomy tube dependence, additional procedures at the time of IIA, or lack of documented follow up. A total of 34 patients underwent LC-1 during study period with 24 included in final analyses. The primary outcome measure was improvement in safely swallowed consistency at 6 months or greater following injection. Secondary outcomes included need for formal suture LC-1 repair following IIA and comparison of 30-day and long-term swallowing function. RESULTS: Median [range] age at injection was 15.3 [10.3-19.1] months and 50% were female (n = 12). Improvement was noted in 12 (50%) patients within 30 days of IIA, with 11 of 12 demonstrating sustained improvement at long-term follow up (10.3 [9.3-14.0] months). Among all patients, 15 of 24 (63%) demonstrated improvement compared to preoperative baseline. Six of 24 (25%) required formal suture repair of LC-1. CONCLUSIONS: IIA is a safe procedure that may result in both immediate and long-term improvement in dysphagia in select patients with LC-1. Additional studies are required to determine impact of IIA on pulmonary complications and hospital utilization and as well as patient- and caregiver-related outcome measures.

Association of Feeding Evaluation With Frenotomy Rates in Infants With Breastfeeding Difficulties.

IMPORTANCE: Inpatient surgical release of lingual frenulums rose 10-fold between 1997 and 2012 despite insufficient evidence that frenotomy for ankyloglossia is associated with improvements in breastfeeding. Clear indications for surgical release remain murky, and best practice guidelines have yet to be developed. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether infants referred for frenotomy to treat breastfeeding difficulties should undergo procedures after comprehensive feeding examination, during which the primary cause of feeding issues was identified, and targeted intervention was provided. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This observational quality improvement study followed mother-infant dyads between March and December of 2018 who were referred to our tertiary care center for difficulty with breastfeeding. All infants underwent a comprehensive feeding evaluation by speech and language pathologists who examined the infants' ability to breastfeed prior to a surgical consultation for initial frenotomy. Data analysis was performed between January 2019 and May 2019. INTERVENTIONS: A multidisciplinary feeding evaluation that examined infants' oral structure and function and their ability to breastfeed and that offered techniques for mothers to address any feeding difficulties prior to surgical intervention was developed. Infants either found success in feeding and weight gain through this program or underwent procedures. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the percentage of frenotomy procedures following implementation of a multidisciplinary feeding team evaluation. The secondary outcome was the percentage of infants referred for lingual frenotomy who later had either combined lingual and labial frenotomy or labial frenotomy alone. RESULTS: Included in the study were 115 patients (median age, 34 days [interquartile range, 19-56 days], 68 (59%) were male) referred for surgical division of the lingual frenum. Following the development of a program with feeding examination with a pediatric speech and language pathologist, 72 (62.6%) patients subsequently did not undergo surgical procedures. Although all of the referrals were for lingual frenotomy, 10 (8.7%) underwent labial frenotomy alone and 32 (27.8%) underwent both labial and lingual frenotomy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The majority of patients referred for ankyloglossia may benefit from alternative intervention strategies following comprehensive feeding evaluation. Close collaboration and formation of multidisciplinary teams are imperative for treating these children.

Short-term swallowing outcomes following type 1 laryngeal cleft injection.

INTRODUCTION: Interarytenoid injection augmentation at the time of initial diagnostic endoscopy for aspiration and dysphagia may result in near-immediate improvement in swallowing function, potentially obviating the need for future formal endoscopic repair of type 1 laryngeal cleft. Interarytenoid injection augmentation may also address physiologic aspiration. Early treatment of type 1 laryngeal cleft may allow for expedited liberalization of feedings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of interarytenoid injection augmentation (IIA) for type 1 laryngeal clefts (LC-1) on short-term swallowing function assessed by videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients age ≤24 months with dysphagia on preoperative VFSS who underwent IIA with calcium hydroxyapatite for LC-1 during direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy from June to October 2017 at a tertiary care academic subspecialty hospital. Exclusion criteria included prior endoscopic or open LC repair (n = 1), gastrostomy tube dependence (n = 1), additional procedures at the time of IIA (supraglottoplasty, frenulectomy, n = 1). Children without postoperative VFSS within 30 days of injection were excluded (n = 2). Fifteen children met inclusion criteria for analysis. The primary endpoint was improvement in safely swallowed consistency as defined by recommendation to liberalize diet by at least a half-consistency (e.g. half-honey to nectar thick liquid). Secondary endpoints included clinical assessment of dysphagia and postoperative respiratory events. RESULTS: Median [range] age at injection was 15.2 [7.7-24.3] months and 67% of patients were female (n = 10). The majority (13/15) of patients were full-term and 80% of patients (n = 12) had documented gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Median time from injection to VFSS was 16 [9-29] days. Improvement in safely swallowed consistency was noted in 60% (n = 9) of patients. Aspiration completely resolved in two patients. Swallow function was unchanged in 40% of patients (n = 6); no patients experienced worsening dysphagia. No respiratory complications were documented during inpatient observation. CONCLUSION: IIA is a safe procedure that may result in immediate improvement in dysphagia in select patients with LC-1. IIA does not address neurologic, developmental, or other anatomic etiologies of dysphagia. Additional studies are required to determine long-term efficacy of IIA on dysphagia and pulmonary complications, as well as the patient- and caregiver-related outcome measures.

Chiari malformations: An important cause of pediatric aspiration.

Chronic aspiration poses a major health risk to the pediatric population. We describe four cases in which work up for chronic aspiration with a brain MRI revealed a Chiari I malformation, a poorly described etiology of pediatric aspiration. All patients had at least one non-specific neurologic symptom but had swallow studies more characteristic of an anatomic than a neurologic etiology. Patients were referred to neurosurgery and underwent posterior fossa decompression with symptom improvement. A high index of suspicion for Chiari malformation should be maintained when the standard work up for aspiration is non-diagnostic, particularly when non-specific neurologic symptoms are present.