Evaluation of Swallowing in Infants with Congenital Heart diseases

Background: Infants with congenital anomalies are at increased risk of developing oropharyngeal dysphagia. The life expectancy of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease has increased, and some studies reported the prevalence of dysphagia in this population. Objective: This pilot study aimed to describe the swallowing abnormalities found in infants with congenital heart diseases using clinical feeding evaluation (CFE) and videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). Methods: This study was conducted on 20 infants with congenital heart diseases in the age range 2-19 months (median seven months) with suspected aspiration and/or feeding problems. All cases were subjected to both clinical and videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing. Results and conclusion: The most commonly observed clinical finding was gagging during feeding in 85%, cough during feeding in 65%, and gurgly voice in 50% of infants. The majority of the studied infants (75%) showed laryngotracheal aspiration caused by suck-swallow-breathing incoordination. Early diagnosis and management of dysphagia in this population are mandatory to prevent serious complications.