The Effect of Body Position on Oropharyngeal Swallow Function in Infants

Infants are typically fed in a cradled, upright position, however feeding specialists/SLPs often position infants in a side-lying position to promote safe, quality, and neurodevelopmentally protective feeding which is supported by currently available literature. Side-lying position is often recommended by feeding specialists to reduce the risk for aspiration and improve other components of infant swallow function. However, there is no literature directly assessing airway protection during the swallow with the infant in the side-lying versus upright positions. The goal of this study is to conduct an instrumental assessment (Modified Barium Swallow/Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study) in these different positions (upright versus side-lying) to determine if there is a difference in airway compromise. The target population are infants between post-menstrual ages of 38-56 weeks who are referred for a modified barium swallow study.

Inclusion Criteria: * The age of the infant at the time of the study must be between 38 to 56 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2004; Balest et al., 2021, Han et al. 2020; McGratten et al., 2020). * Infant has been referred for an MBS by their physician based on clinical need (suspected oropharyngeal dysphagia) * Only infants with confirmed pharyngeal dysphagia, as defined by at least one airway invasion event on their MBS, will be included in final data analysis Exclusion Criteria: * Infants who are deemed not medically stable enough to complete an MBS * Infants who are deemed unable to maintain a side-lying or upright position for at least 3 minutes * Infants who do not meet the inclusion criteria above