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Published on: September 11, 2018
Foreign Body Aspiration in Infants: Role of Self-Feeding
Gül Özyüksel1, Tutku Soyer1, Filiz Üzümcügil2
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Baby-led weaning, a self-feeding method, is linked to foreign body aspiration (FBA) in infants. Most infants who aspirated did so while self-feeding, highlighting risks associated with this practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
- Public Health
Background:
- Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a significant childhood health risk.
- Baby-led weaning (BLW), encouraging infant self-feeding, is increasingly popular but its safety regarding FBA is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between feeding methods and FBA in infants under one year of age.
- To evaluate the outcomes of FBA in this age group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for children undergoing bronchoscopy for FBA over 10 years.
- Focus on infants (<1 year) to assess age, gender, clinical presentation, bronchoscopy results, and feeding method (self-feeding vs. caregiver-assisted).
Main Results:
- Of 826 patients, 417 (50.2%) had FBA. Infants (<1 year) comprised 75 patients (9.07%), with 50 (67%) confirmed FBA via bronchoscopy.
- 80% of infant FBA cases occurred during self-feeding, compared to 14% during caregiver-assisted feeding.
Conclusions:
- Self-feeding practices, while promoting oral motor skills, may increase the risk of FBA in infants.
- Bronchoscopy frequently identifies food items unsuitable for safe consumption by infants, underscoring the need for careful feeding supervision.
Abstract:
Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a serious life-threatening condition in childhood. "Baby-led weaning (BLW)" is a popular method in which the babies are encouraged to self-feed to gain oral motor abilities. The role of BLW in FBA is controversial. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the results of FBA in infants (<1 year of age) and its relation to the feeding method. Children who underwent bronchoscopy for FBA for the past 10 years were included. Infants (<1 year of age) were evaluated for age, gender, clinical findings, and the results of bronchoscopy. The type of feeding, including self-feeding or caregiver-assisted feeding, was noted. The medical records of 826 patients who underwent bronchoscopy were evaluated. FBA was noted in 50.2% (n = 417) of cases. Only 9.07% (n = 75) of patients were <1 year of age and 67% (n = 50) of them had a foreign body according to the bronchoscopy. The mean age was 9 months (5-12 months) and 36% of them were male. When the feeding characteristics of patients were surveyed, 80% of cases aspirated when self-feeding and 14% aspirated during caregiver-assisted feeding. Self-feeding to promote oral motor function may cause FBA in infants. Emergent bronchoscopy is more common in infants and reveals the aspiration of foods that cannot be consumed safely in this age group.
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