Tiziana Controzzi, Francesca Chesi, Rosa Teresa Scaramuzzo, Matteo Giampietri, Riccardo Morganti, Simona Fiori, Elena Moretti, Luna Gargani, Luca Filippi
INTRODUCTION: The achievement of alimentary competencies is a milestone in the development of preterm neonates. Ten percent of neonates <37 weeks of gestational age and 25% of those VLBW experience swallowing disorders, with an increased risk of problems in the early phase of life (failure to thrive, growth retardation, inhalation, and consequent risk of pulmonary infection) and later in life due to delayed development of oromotor skills.The main diagnostic tools for swallowing disorders are endoscopic (fiber-optic endoscopic examination of swallowing, FEES) or radiographic (videofluoroscopic swallowing study, VFSS) exams...
2023: Frontiers in Pediatrics