title: [Infantile swallowing].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing numbers of preterm infants 1 and ever-improving potentials in neonatal medicine will lead to a rising incidence in infantile feeding problems. Profound knowledge regarding the development and anatomy of pre- and postnatal swallowing functions is essential for the assessment and therapy of infantile feeding and swallowing problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this systematic review a selective literature research in PubMed has been carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oropharyngeal structures and oral-motor skills for sucking and swallowing develop during embryonic and foetal stages and enable postnatal oral feeding. Knowledge of pre- and postnatal developmental stages of oral-motor development and swallowing serves as a base for the assessment of preterm infants' abilities and tolerance for feeding. A direct comparison of the swallowing process between infants, children and adults is not possible due to different anatomical characteristics. Developmental processes and neurologically triggered coordination procedures of early feeding skills are complex and very susceptible to faults. Disruption can cause severe disorders of swallowing coordination. Feeding problems are a common problem in preterm infants. Differentiated assessments on the basis of these results and early intervention facilitating oral-motor skills can accelerate the transition from tube to oral feeding and prevent further feeding issues.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwemmle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jungheim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ptok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000196:embryology / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology