Case Studies in Pediatric Dysphagia

Pediatric Dysphagia: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Management addresses one of the most complex and interdisciplinary challenges in pediatric care. Dysphagia in children spans multiple specialties—including pediatric otolaryngology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and lactation consulting—and affects both the physical health and emotional well-being of children and their families. Feeding is central to socialization and parent-infant bonding, so disruptions in normal swallowing development can be profoundly stressful and costly. This text provides a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to understanding, diagnosing, and managing pediatric swallowing disorders, highlighting clinical challenges, controversies, and practical strategies for care.

Key Features:

• Offers a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating insights from otolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and lactation consultants.
• Provides an overview of normal swallowing anatomy and physiology, with emphasis on developmental milestones and reflexive laryngeal-esophageal interactions.
• Reviews diagnostic modalities, including advantages, limitations, and current controversies such as frame rates, radiation exposure, and evaluation of breastfeeding infants.
• Covers medical and behavioral therapy options, including thickening agents, oromotor therapy, and discussions on NPO (nil per os) management.
• Addresses dysphagia associated with specific conditions: prematurity, velopharyngeal insufficiency, ankyloglossia, laryngeal clefts, laryngomalacia, vocal fold paralysis, and cricopharyngeal dysfunction.
• Evaluates anatomic, inflammatory, and neuromuscular esophageal causes, as well as craniofacial anomalies, sialorrhea, and psychological factors.
• Emphasizes the role of an aerodigestive multidisciplinary team in coordinating care and optimizing outcomes for high-risk patients.
• Stimulates cross-specialty collaboration and encourages further research in pediatric swallowing disorders.