Video 1 - Normal swallowing in infants (Normal Study)

This infant, nearly 5-months old, was referred for VFSS because of concerns related to "spitting up frequently and sounding gurgly after feeds". He was on medication for gastroesophageal reflux. Infant was positioned semi-upright in his typical feeding posture in a seat for a lateral view of oral, pharyngeal, and upper esophageal phases of swallowing. The sequence of swallows in this segment were made as he sucked on the milk bottle nipple that has been used at home.

Note that initially this infant sucked two times before he swallowed. Within the first few swallows, he settled into a 1:1 suck:swallow ratio, which is the most efficient for infants. This infant had no aspiration or nasopharyngeal penetration. As the study progressed, he had occasional laryngeal penetrations only to the underside of the epiglottis. He cleared the pharynx with completion of each swallow. If this infant maintains the pattern demonstrated in this examination throughout feedings, there is no obvious reason that any respiratory concerns would be directly related to his swallowing mechanism.