Swallowing disorders, also known as dysphagia, can occur in childhood for various reasons. Vomiting is a common symptom of different swallowing disorders. There are three different phases of swallowing and children can have difficulty during any one of the stages. Consult your child’s pediatrician for treatment recommendations if your child has difficulty swallowing.
Identification
There are three phases to swallowing: oral, pharyngeal and esophageal. Swallowing disorders in children can occur during any phase. The oral phase of swallowing involves sucking and chewing the food or liquid to move it down the throat. During the pharyngeal phase, your child begins to swallow by contracting the throat to move the food down the throat. In the esophageal phase, she moves the food down the esophagus into the stomach. Your doctor will diagnose swallowing disorders by observing your child eat or drink and by performing special tests.
Symptoms
In children, swallowing disorders may be difficult to detect. One common symptom is frequent vomiting or spitting up. Other noticeable symptoms are when children refuse to eat or will only eat foods of certain textures. Your child may tense up when you try to feed them. You may notice that your child is irritable during feeding times. Your child may have difficulty chewing or have excessive drool while trying to eat. In some children, food comes out of the mouth and nose.
Causes
There are a number of factors that may cause swallowing disorders and vomiting in children. The child's inability to control his tongue is often the cause of oral phase swallowing disorders. Other causes of swallowing disorders in any phase include structural lesions, psychiatric disorders or certain medications the child may be taking. Neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis, can also cause swallowing disorders. Connective tissue diseases, like muscular dystrophy, may make it difficult for children to swallow.
Treatment
Treatment of the disorder varies depending on the cause of your child’s swallowing disorder. A speech and language pathologist often works with a child who has a swallowing disorder, teaching him how to accept new foods, change his posture to help with swallowing and other behavioral changes to make eating easier. Your child’s treatment team will also work on helping your child learn how to swallow, use the tongue and practice chewing.
