Instrumental swallowing assessment in children

Children can present with a wide range of swallowing impairments. This may affect from neonates, infants,toddlers, young children to early teens. The most serious outcome severe impairment is gross aspiration leading violation airway and its consequences such as recurrent pneumonias, sepsis, poor weight gain, failure thrive long term developmentalsequel. Assessment done in using perceptual clinical assessment by speech language therapist. isa subjective not clearly identify the defective phase miss silent aspiration. Instrumental method objective evaluation entire process. would quantify severity impairment. It mainly two ways. i.e. Functional Endoscopic Evaluation (FEES) Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS). Both are valuable methods they separately assess different phases swallowing. results invaluable further treatment these overcome or mitigate their FEES involves inserting fibro-optic pediatric laryngoscope child’s pharynx via nose simultaneous observation mechanism while feeding orally. VFSS fluoroscopic viewing process giving food mixed radio opaque substance. helpful intra proceduralpositional maneuversand change consistencies given