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A new way to treat sucking and swallowing difficulties in babies
Lancet (London, England)
|May 24, 1986
Insights
A new intraoral appliance effectively treats feeding difficulties in infants caused by incoordination, especially when other methods fail. This device offers a successful solution for challenging pediatric feeding cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric medicine
- Speech-language pathology
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Feeding difficulties in infants can stem from various causes, including incoordination.
- Existing treatments for pediatric feeding disorders and dysphagia inform new device development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel, simple intraoral appliance designed to address infant feeding difficulties.
- To evaluate the efficacy of this appliance in infants with incoordination-related feeding problems.
Main Methods:
- The intraoral appliance was designed based on experience with feeding plates for cleft palate and dysphagia treatment.
- The device was utilized to manage feeding challenges in twelve infants.
Main Results:
- The intraoral appliance demonstrated successful outcomes in all twelve infants treated.
- The device proved effective even when previous feeding interventions had been unsuccessful.
Conclusions:
- This simple intraoral appliance is a viable and effective solution for infants experiencing feeding difficulties due to incoordination.
- The device represents a significant advancement in managing complex pediatric feeding disorders.
Abstract:
Experience from the use of feeding plates for babies with cleft palate and from the treatment of dysphagia in patients recovering from stroke led to the design of a simple intraoral appliance. This device has been used successfully in treating twelve babies with feeding difficulties caused by incoordination, when other methods had failed.