Dysphagia in children can be characterized by when your children have difficulty swallowing food materials. The condition occurs when food or liquid materials can not pass easily from the mouth into the throat, down via the esophagus.
Your child may develop dysphagia even if they are completely healthy. Children who have something stuck in the esophagus suddenly develop severe fever, underlying infection can make your child have trouble swallowing.
Children suffering from disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, and other physical and mental illnesses can suddenly show symptoms of the condition.
Symptoms Of Dysphagia In Children
Each child will exhibit dysphagia differently. They can showcase a variety of symptoms, such as,
- Stiffening of the body during feedings
- Chest congestion after eating or drinking
- Sudden coughing or choking during feeding or drinking
- Excessive drooling
- Eating slowly
- Having a feeling of food or liquid sticking in the chest or esophagus
- Having a lump in the throat
- Gagging during feeding
- The onset of frequent respiratory infections
- Spitting up or vomiting while feeding
- Weight loss
How To Diagnose Dysphagia In Children?
The medical practitioner will be asking about your child’s health history and performing physical exams. The healthcare professional will also ask detailed questions about how your child eats or drinks or whether you come across problems during feeding.
The healthcare provider will ask for a thorough blood test in order to detect any additional infection. They will also perform imaging and other tests to locate infection clearly.
The tests may include the following such as,
Endoscopy
In order to perform this test, the medical practitioner will insert a small and flexible tube from the mouth to the inside of the digestive tract of your child. The tube is associated with a light and a camera, and together they are called an endoscope.
During the test, the practitioner may even be required to remove tissue samples from the throat, esophagus, and stomach to test in a lab.
Laryngoscopy
Your child’s healthcare provider will put a tube inside the throat. The procedure is performed to check if your child’s throat is narrowed down or has any other associated problems. Doctors will conduct anesthesia to perform this procedure.
Esophageal Manometry
The healthcare provider will guide a small tube through your child’s mouth into the esophagus. The tube will have a pressure gauge, which is used to check esophageal pressure. This will let the medical practitioner determine whether the food moves correctly through the esophagus or not.
Complications Of Dysphagia In Children
In severe cases, dysphagia can lead to aspiration pneumonia, which is when food or liquid enters the air passage of the lungs and causes infection.
The children have trouble swallowing which can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, and severe vitamin deficiency. You can have a number of health problems relating to nerve and muscle tissues. While some children might drink or eat better, others will be totally unable to do any.
The team of medical practitioners will include nutritionists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, gastroenterologists, and allergists who will guide your child through the process of recovery.
Who Are More Prone To Developing Dysphagia?
The type of children who are more prone to developing the swallowing syndrome are those who suffer from these conditions as follows,
- Children born prematurely
- Cleft palate
- Compression of the esophagus by other body parts
- Dental problems
- Delayed development
- Falling ill to diseases that would affect the nerve and muscle tissues
- Eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic condition affecting the esophagus
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Children who have a tracheostomy
- Large tongue and tonsils
- Oral sensitivity or irritation of the vocal cord
- Tumor or development of masses in the throat
Treating Dysphagia In Children
Treating dysphagia in children is strictly done by trained medical professionals. Each expression of the condition requires different treatments.
Chronic Dysphagia
In order to treat chronic dysphagia, your child will need occupational therapy. A therapist will teach them exercises and feeding techniques to relieve infections associated with dysphagia.
The doctor will advise your child to eat liquid food material unless the problem resolves. They will suggest you give baby food for the starter.
Dysphagia With GERD
If your child is also suffering from GERD, medical practitioners will probably perform an endoscopy and other blood tests to detect the nature of the acid reflux frequently occurring with the problem.
Esophageal Stricture
This is caused by the narrowing of the esophagus. The medical practitioner will perform a series of tests to determine if your child has developed this condition or not.
They will provide particular treatment according to the need of the hour.
Overview
In the case of dysphagia in children, you should take guidance from a trained medical professional under any circumstances. Your child will have difficulty swallowing pills and other medications if they possess symptoms related to the condition. Only a trained medical professional will be helping kids swallow pills.
If you try to medicate your child yourself, this may lead to more complications. You need to provide assurance to your child while they go through various medical procedures.
