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Evaluation of Swallowing in Children with Vomiting After Feeding

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Abstract

Vomiting after feeding is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and of eosinophilic esophagitis (EE), which are considered to be a cause of infant feeding disorder. The objective of the present study was to evaluate swallowing in children with feeding disorder manifested by vomiting after feeding. Using clinical and videofluoroscopic methods we studied the swallowing of 37 children with vomiting after feeding (mean age = 15.4 months), and of 15 healthy children (mean age = 20.5 months). In the videofluoroscopic examination the children swallowed a free volume of milk and 5 ml of mashed banana, both mixed with barium sulfate. We evaluated five swallows of liquid and five swallows of paste. The videofluoroscopic examination was recorded at 60 frames/s. Patients had difficulty during feeding, pneumonia, respiratory distress, otitis, and irritability more frequently than controls. During feeding, children with vomiting, choke were irritable, and refused food more frequently than controls, and during the videofluoroscopic examination the patients had more backward movement of the head than controls for both the liquid and paste boluses. There was no difference in the timing of oral swallowing transit, pharyngeal swallowing transit, or pharyngeal clearance between patients and controls. We conclude that children with vomiting after feeding may have difficulties in accepting feeding, although they have no alteration of oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ana Paula Duca, Andréa Aparecida Contini Rodrigues & Regina Sawamura

  2. Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Roberto Oliveira Dantas

  3. Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto – USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil

    Roberto Oliveira Dantas

Authors
  1. Ana Paula Duca
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  2. Roberto Oliveira Dantas
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  3. Andréa Aparecida Contini Rodrigues
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  4. Regina Sawamura
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Correspondence to Roberto Oliveira Dantas.

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Duca, A.P., Dantas, R.O., Rodrigues, A.A.C. et al. Evaluation of Swallowing in Children with Vomiting After Feeding. Dysphagia 23, 177–182 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-007-9122-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-007-9122-3

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