Food-capture patterns and their influence on respiratory behavior

Various mechanisms exist to reduce the risk of choking during eating, including regulating breathing patterns. Inspiration during food intake may increase the choking risk; however, changes in respiratory patterns during food capture remain unclear. We investigated inspiration and expiration during food capture in adults and children whilst eating different types of foods. We recorded the food-capture process and respiration phases in 12 school-aged children and 22 adults using an optical 3D motion-capture system and respiratory plethysmography, respectively. Participants were required to eat 5 g of cooked rice or pudding using a spoon, 5 g thin wheat noodles using a fork, or one peanut using their fingers, and their respiratory movements were monitored before, during, and after food capture. The respiratory phase during food capture differed according to the food type in adults and children, with inspiration being the dominant phase for all foods consumed using utensils (i.e., not peanuts). Food-capture times differed among food types and between adults and children. The respiratory cycle times, defined as the time from the onset of one inspiration to the onset of the subsequent inspiration, were longer in adults than children, with the middle respiratory cycle time, including the onset of food capture, being the longest. These results suggest that adults and school-aged children exhibit modulation of their breathing during food capture, which may contribute to reducing the risk of choking, depending on the type of food and eating method; however, further studies are needed in younger children, who are generally considered to be at higher risk of choking.