“I have been so curious for years to hear the frequency of coughing in healthy term infants. Thank you Dr. McGrattan for your research and dedication to this topic!” Ashleigh Connell, MA, CCC-SLP, CNT
“Great focus on feeding as an acquired skill, with healthy, term newborns often being disorganized. Appreciated the advice to watch for feeding patterns and skill development rather than looking at an isolated episode. Obviously, consider the overall presentation when raising the level of concern.” - Julie A. Dunlap, MS, CCC-SLP
Course Title: Normal Swallowing in Healthy Term Infants: Are Signs of Aspiration a Normal Variant?
Speakers: Katlyn McGrattan, PhD, CCC-SLP & Morgan Zoeller, MA, CF-SLP
Course Description
Background: Feeding therapists regularly evaluate infants for signs of aspiration during feeds (1,7). When such events are detected, interventions to mitigate these occurrences are applied (1,2-6). Interestingly, it is widely accepted within the adult literature that occasional instances of aspiration are a normal variant of function that pose no deleterious pulmonary effects in healthy individuals (8). However, little is known regarding these normal correlates of aspiration in infants (9). The aim of this investigation is to fill this void by establishing objective normal correlates of feeding performance among healthy, non-dysphagic infants.
Methods: Healthy full-term infants without concerns for swallowing impairments were prospectively enrolled for home monitoring of their feeding performance. Monitoring was completed 48 hours each week throughout the first month of life and included feeding times, volume of intake, and number of feeding-related coughing episodes. Data was summarized using descriptive statistics, with changes in coughing throughout the first month of life evaluated using a paired t-test.
Course Objectives:
- Identify the percent of infants who cough during breast and bottle feeds.
- Identify the range of coughing episodes that can be observed during feeds in healthy normal infants.
- List how the proportion of feeds with a cough change throughout the first month of life.
Target Audience: OT, SLP, PT, and neonatal professionals
Educational Level: Intermediate
CE Credit: OT, SLP, PT One hour
Course Fee: $57 for Non-members|Free forNANTMembers
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“Fascinating presentation- glad that this research is being generated.” -Emily Bordier, MS, CCC-SLP, CNT