The early impact of feeding on infant breathing-swallowing coordination.
This longitudinal study assessed the coordination of nutritive and non-nutritive swallowing with breathing in 10 healthy term infants from birth to 1 year of age. Swallows were classified into five respiratory-phase categories: mid-inspiration (II), mid-expiration (EE), inspiratory-expiratory cusp (IE), expiratory-inspiratory cusp (EI), and mid-pause (P). Breathing-swallowing coordination differed markedly between the two swallowing conditions, especially between 2 weeks and 2 months. Significant condition effects were found in up to four respiratory-phase categories (II, IE, EI, and P). The condition effect was minimal from 9 months with only IE swallow proportions differing between conditions. These data suggest a 'critical period' in infantile neural response to oropharyngeal stimulation during feeding and that the impact of this on infants with neurological and/or respiratory disorders should be further investigated.
Kelly
Bronwen N
BN
Van der Veer Institute for Parkinson's and Brain Research, Christchurch, New Zealand. bmk21@student.canterbury.ac.nz
Huckabee
Maggie-Lee
ML
Jones
Richard D
RD
Frampton
Christopher M A
CM
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010507:Periodicity; D012016:Reference Values; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*