Neonatal therapists work with infants on feeding on a daily basis. Some feeding difficulties improve with time, practice and therapeutic intervention. Other feeding difficulties may persist, worsen and present as a safety concern. Both Modified Barium Swallow Studies & Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing are two tools which can be used in the neonatal intensive care unit. These studies each have their considerations for referral, set up and protocols. This lecture will provide you with foundational knowledge to use instrumental swallow studies in the inpatient and outpatient setting, provide case studies and scenarios to apply to the work setting.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
List considerations of when to refer between MBS and FEES in the neonate population
Demonstrate ways to make real time decisions during swallow studies
Discuss translating swallow study results into clinical action plans