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Acoustic and Perceptual Profiles of Swallowing Sounds in Children: Normative Data for 4–36 Months from a Cross-Sectional Study Cohort

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Abstract

Limited data on cervical auscultation (CA) sounds during the transitional feeding period of 4–36 months in healthy children exist. This study examined the acoustic and perceptual parameters of swallowing sounds in children aged 4–36 months over a range of food and fluid consistencies. Using CA, swallowing sounds were recorded from a microphone as children ate or drank. Acoustic parameters of duration, peak frequency and peak intensity were determined. Perceptual parameters of swallowing/breath sounds heard pre-, during and post-swallow were rated (‘present’, ‘absent’, ‘cannot be determined’) for each texture. 74 children (35 males; mean age = 17.1 months [SD 10.0]) demonstrated mean swallow durations of <1 s. Increasing age correlated to reduced peak frequency on puree (r = −0.48, 95 % CI −0.66, −0.24). Age correlated to peak amplitude when swallowing puree (r = 0.27, 95 % CI 0.02, 0.49), chewable solids (r = 0.31, 95 % CI 0.02, 0.56) and thin fluids (r = 0.48, 95 % CI 0.27, 0.64). The bolus transit sound was present in all swallows. A majority of children had normal breathing sounds and coordinated swallows. A swallow duration of <1 s and the presence of a quick bolus transit sound with normal breathing sounds were found in healthy children. The normative data reported in this study provide a platform for future comparison to abnormal swallowing sounds in children.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Children’s Health Foundation Queensland, Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute, Allied Health Near Miss Grant (no. 50111). TTF is supported by PhD scholarships provided by Children’s Health Foundation, Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute (No. 50032), NHMRC (No. 1055527) and Speech Pathology Australia. ABC is supported by NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship (No. 1058213). KFO is supported by NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (No. 1045157) and a Queensland Government Smart Futures Fellowship. Thank you to the Speech Pathology Department at Royal Children’s Hospital (now Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital) in Brisbane for use of resources and facilities to conduct the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Children’s Health Research, The University of Queensland, Level 7, 62 Graham St, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Thuy T. Frakking PhD & Julie Yang

  2. Speech Pathology Department, Caboolture Hospital, McKean St, Caboolture, QLD, 4510, Australia

    Thuy T. Frakking PhD

  3. Queensland Children’s Respiratory Centre, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, 501 Stanley St, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Anne B. Chang

  4. Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, NT, 0811, Australia

    Anne B. Chang

  5. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Centre for Children’s Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Level 7, 62 Graham St, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Anne B. Chang & Kerry-Ann F. O’Grady

  6. School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston Rd, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia

    Michael David

  7. School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Kelly A. Weir

  8. Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

    Kelly A. Weir

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  1. Thuy T. Frakking PhD
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Correspondence to Thuy T. Frakking PhD.

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Frakking, T.T., Chang, A.B., O’Grady, KA.F. et al. Acoustic and Perceptual Profiles of Swallowing Sounds in Children: Normative Data for 4–36 Months from a Cross-Sectional Study Cohort. Dysphagia 32, 261–270 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-016-9755-1

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