Testing and Development of Slightly Thick Infant Formula Recipes for Dysphagia Management: An Australian Perspective.

Thickened feeds may be useful in supporting improved suck-swallow-breath coordination and airway protection in infants with dysphagia. Unfortunately, the stability of thickened feeds for infant formulas is unpredictable, which makes use of this strategy challenging. This study aimed to propose a set of Level 1 (slightly thick) recipes for Australian infant formulas/thickeners. A secondary aim was to test whether formula could be batch prepared. A set of powdered, ready-to-feed, and specialized formulas were mixed with two thickening products (Aptamil Feed Thickener® and Supercol®) and tested at 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, 30-, and 45-min intervals using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) Flow Test. Formula/thickener samples were mixed following manufacturer instructions, but recipes were adapted to determine an ideal recipe for Level 1 (slightly thick) consistency that would be maintained over a feed. Samples were refrigerated, reheated after 12 h, and retested. Each combination was tested six times. Overall, 1,353 IDDSI Flow Tests were conducted using 14 formula/thickener combinations. In all combinations, recipe alterations were made using metric spoon measurements as opposed to the manufacturer-provided scoop. All samples were most variable at the 5-min timepoint. Formulas thickened with Supercol® generally reached a more stable consistency by 10 min, whereas formulas thickened with Aptamil Feed Thickener® were more stable by 15 min. Samples tested after 12 h were more variable with Aptamil Feed Thickener®. This study provides practical recommendations for clinicians working with infants requiring thickened feeds for dysphagia management. Further study under controlled laboratory conditions is required.

White noise enhances new-word learning in healthy adults.

Research suggests that listening to white noise may improve some aspects of cognitive performance in individuals with lower attention. This study investigated the impact of white noise on new word learning in healthy young adults, and whether this effect was mediated by executive attention skills. Eighty participants completed a single training session to learn the names of twenty novel objects. The session comprised 5 learning phases, each followed by a recall test. A final recognition test was also administered. Half the participants listened to white noise during the learning phases, and half completed the learning in silence. The noise group demonstrated superior recall accuracy over time, which was not impacted by participant attentional capacity. Recognition accuracy was near ceiling for both groups. These findings suggest that white noise has the capacity to enhance lexical acquisition.