Dysphagia is a condition in which your child has problems swallowing food or liquids. It often affects children who are just learning to eat solid foods. Dysphagia can make it hard for your child to get enough nutrients for good growth.
Food enters the mouth and is chewed. The tongue moves the chewed food to the pharynx (back of the throat). The food is then swallowed. It passes into the esophagus (the muscular tube leading to the stomach). The esophagus tightens and relaxes in wavelike motions to move swallowed food into the stomach.
Common symptoms of dysphagia include:
Choking, coughing, or sputtering while eating or drinking
Inability to coordinate chewing and swallowing
Upper respiratory problems, such as pneumonia, from food or drink being aspirated (inhaled into the lungs)
Occasional vomiting or regurgitation (flow of stomach contents and digestive acids back into the throat)
Dysphagia can be caused by any of the following:
Nerve or brain problems that affect control of muscles in the mouth, tongue, throat, or stomach
Problems with the shape of your child’s mouth, tongue, or throat
Stricture (thickening or narrowing of the esophagus)
To find out if your child has dysphagia, the health care provider may order some tests. One such test might be a swallow study. This test can help the health care provider learn more about your child’s swallowing problem.
Your child’s treatment will depend on where the problem is located and what is causing the problem. Treatment may include:
Therapy to help your child learn how to move food properly in the mouth
Insertion of a feeding tube (if the problem is severe and your child needs help getting nutrition)
Changes in diet (such as thickened foods that help your child chew more easily)
A procedure to widen the esophagus (if the esophagus is too narrow)
Call the health care provider right away if you notice any of these problems:
Food seems to get stuck in child’s mouth or throat during feeding.
Child has difficulty breathing, or breathing stops during feeding.
Child’s skin or lips turn blue when feeding.