Atypical swallowing in children
Atypical swallowing is an incorrect habit that consists of an inadequate lingual position when swallowing. It is a very common disorder that many children present and can be a consequence of a great variety of factors that can trigger an inadequate swallowing. To correct this inappropriate habit, va
Atypical swallowing is an incorrect habit that consists of an inadequate lingual position when swallowing. It is a very common disorder that many children present and can be a consequence of a great variety of factors that can trigger an inadequate swallowing.
To correct this inappropriate habit, various professionals can participate, including the speech therapist. In Guiainfantil.com we provide speech therapy tips to follow if your child has this alteration when swallowing.
How to detect if the child suffers atypical swallowing
It is important to know some of the aspects that can be indicators of the existence of an atypical swallowing:
- frontal position of the tongue during the act of swallowing
- excessive lip closure
- escape of food
- lack of contraction in the masseters (muscles responsible for opening and closing the jaw)
- tension in the chin
- contraction of the neck
- noises when swallowing
- remains of food after swallowing
If any of these aspects appear, your child may have a swallowing disorder. So, what should be done?
It is essential to go to the speech therapist to make a myofunctional assessment (of all the structures involved in the swallowing process), in order to determine the existence or not of a swallowing alteration. In addition, other professionals such as the ENT, the dentist, and the psychologist can participate in the diagnosis.
Treatment for atypical swallowing in children
Once the needs of the child have been detected, a treatment must be started, as early as possible which consists of a coordinated myofunctional therapy between the dentist and the speech therapist. This treatment is carried out with the aim of restoring muscle balance to the child through activities focused on relaxation, posture, breathing, muscle balance and swallowing itself.
Finally, it is necessary that, in order to consolidate and generalize the progress achieved during treatment, all the people who surround the child, parents, teachers, family members ... receive a series of guidelines for action. Some of these guidelines are the following: to attend to this problem from an early age, to become aware of the importance of nasal breathing and to reinforce at all times the child's progress, among others.
