Swallowing sounds in children: Establishing normative data

Limited data on cervical auscultation (CA) sounds in normal swallows of various food and fluid textures during the transitional feeding period of 4-36 months exists. This study documents the acoustic and perceptual parameters of swallowing sounds in healthy children aged 4–36 months over a range of food and fluid consistencies.

Is there a difference in sound acoustics between aspirating versus non-aspirating swallows in children with dysphagia?

Cervical auscultation (CA) may be used to complement the clinical feeding examination when assessing for oropharyngeal aspiration (OPA). Data exists on the acoustic properties of normal and abnormal swallowing sounds in adults and children. However, there are no published paediatric studies comparing the acoustic properties of sounds comparing OPA with non-OPA swallows. We aimed to determine if there is an acoustic difference between modified barium swallow (MBS)-identified OPA and non-OPA swallow sounds in children.