Assessment of infant oral sensorimotor and swallowing function

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Feeding and swallowing development involve intricate interactions between the nervous system, physiology, and environment.
• Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding the physiology and neurological control of infant feeding and swallowing.
• This understanding is crucial for addressing feeding and swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the neurobiology, development, and assessment of feeding and swallowing in early infancy.
• To highlight recent advancements in understanding the physiological and neurological underpinnings of infant feeding.
• To discuss the implications of these advancements for diagnosing and managing infant dysphagia.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on infant neurobiology, feeding physiology, and swallowing mechanisms.
• Analysis of progress in developing standardized measures for oral sensorimotor and swallowing function.
• Examination of advancements in instrumental analysis techniques for feeding and swallowing disorders.

Main Results:

• Progress in standardized clinical measures for infant oral sensorimotor and swallowing function has been gradual.
• Significant advancements have been made in instrumental analyses, including manometry, respiration monitoring, videofluoroscopic swallow evaluations, ultrasonography, and flexible endoscopic examination.
• These instrumental methods offer valuable insights into the pathophysiology of infant dysphagia.

Conclusions:

• Continued research is needed to develop robust clinical evaluative measures for infant dysphagia.
• Instrumental analyses provide powerful tools for assessing infant feeding and swallowing disorders.
• Integrating neurobiological insights with advanced assessment techniques is key to improving infant dysphagia management.