Feeding Flashcards
What can cause dysphagia?
Medical Conditions: Cleft palate, GERD, Malformation- Pain
Food Allergies-food avoidance
Oral Motor Function-delay, abnormal, inefficient
Sensory Issues
Behavioral issues
What is dysphagia?
Difficulty at any stage of the swallow- oral to esophageal
When is a feeding eval needed?
If there is a known dx like cleft palate or prematurity.
If meal times take more than 30 minutes
If meals are stressful
If the child shows signs of respiratory distress
If the child has not gained weight
Eating requires…
Motor ability: CNS, pulmonary, gastro
- Posture/muscle tone
- Hand control
Oral motor function
- Lip closure
- Jaw movement
- Tongue controlswallowing
Sensory perception
- Hot/cold
- Full/empty
- Liquid/solid
Social and cognitive
- Not eating with mouth open
What are the prerequisites to feeding?
Oral integrity
- teeth
- ulcers
- arthritis
Intact cranial nerves
Reflexes
- swallow
Secondary
- bonding with parent
- desire
What is the oral cavity?
Hard and soft palate, tongue, fat pads of cheeks, upper and lower jaws, teeth, lips
Contain food, chewing or mastication, bolus formation
What is the pharynx?
Base of tongue, oropharynx, tendons, hyoid bone
Funnels food to esophagus, air and food share this space
What is the larynx?
Epiglottis and vocal cords
Valve to trachea that closes during swallow
What is the trachea?
Tube below larynx
Cartilage rings (chondromalcia)
Airway to lungs
What is the esophagus?
Thin and full of smooth muscles
Carries food from pharynx through the diaphragm and into the stomach
What are the steps of the swallowing process?
- Pre oral
- Oral prep
- Oral (oral transit)
- Pharyngeal
- Esophageal
Describe each step of the swallowing process.
Pre Oral: voluntary (OT)
- Smell sight, salivation
Oral Prep: voluntary (OT)
- Chew (rotary in adults)
- Form bolus
Oral (Oral Transit): voluntary (OT)
- Bolus is pushed against hard pallet, moved to back of throat
Pharyngeal: nonvoluntary (OT)
- Soft palate elevates to close the nasopharynx
- Breathing stops
Esophageal: nonvoluntary (not OT)
- Things return to normal
- Food passes to stomach
What must you have to drink from a cup?
Jaw stability, which usually presents at 24m
What are possible reasons for disorders with eating (not ED like in general)?
Disorders of appetite
- Anorexia
Anatomic disorders
- Oropharynx
- Esophagus
- Trachea
Disorders affecting suck, swallow, breath
- Usually, CNS
Coordination disorders
- CP
Infections/Inflammation
Behavior/Experience
What constitutes dysphagia?
neurological issue
What constitutes a feeding issue?
strong food/texture preference
hypersensitive olfactory
eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia)
positioning (head control, general strength, fatigue)
What is the toughest liquid to swallow?
water
Dysphagia symptoms in adults
They tell you!
Drooling
Decreased mastication (chewing)
Clearing throat
Choking
Nasal regurgitation
Residual food in oral cavity
Weight loss, dehydration, respiratory problems
What is aspiration?
The entrance of food into the larynx below the vocal cords
What is auditory aspiration?
coughing or choking
What is silent aspiration?
No swallow response
Pooling or wet sounds on auscultation
Change in voice
Change in patient color, vitals or decrease O2 level
What might you see in children who have oral hypersensitivity ?
Medical care:
- cavities
- OA in jaw
Tongue thrust
Bite reflex
Gag reflex
Poor jaw grading
Tongue retraction
Inadequate suck
Inadequate chew
Drooling
Motor impairments commonly seen with eating
Spasticity
Hypotonic
May not show up until solid food
Problems
- Head and neck control
- Jaw excursion
- Over or under active tongue
- Postural instability
- Hypotonic cheeks
- Elevation of shoulder (for neck support)
- Hypertonic bite
* Tonic bite
* Tongue thrust
* Lip retraction, pursing