Three-Ounce Water Swallow Challenge as a Screening Tool for Children With Suspected Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

Abstract

Accurate assessment of children who are risk for oropharyngeal dysphagia is vitally important because unrecognized prandial aspiration can lead to a number of serious medical complications, including failure to thrive, dehydration, oral aversion, and pneumonia (Martin et al., 1994; Langmore et al., 1998). Videofluoroscopy and endoscopy are the two most widely used instrumental tools to assess swallow function. However, videofluoroscopy exposes children to radiation, is expensive, and involves swallowing substances different from those a child might typically ingest. Endoscopy can be frightening and potentially uncomfortable for some children. Additionally, clinicians may not always have access to these instrumental evaluations.