Instrumental Assessment for Pediatric Feeding Disorders in Infants Under Six Months: A Literature Review

Background: Reports of feeding disorders and their negative effects on infants are common. Objectives: This literature review addresses the need to detect and report on the features of instrumental assessments related to feeding functions that are available to clinicians. Methods: A literature review search was performed by two independent reviewers utilizing EMBASE, Scopus, Medline (via PubMed), Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Cochrane databases, to discover instrumental assessments for infant swallowing and feeding function. Assessments were summarized and assessed according to respondent type, target populations and appraisal plans. Results: Overall, seven studies were included in the final review. Despite the varying assessments of feeding function in infants, there were many similarities between instrumental assessments in components, concepts, and operational tools. Conclusions: The two available methods for instrumental evaluation of swallowing are the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and the fiberoptic endoscopic swallowing evaluation (FEES). Both methods have benefits and limitations that have been characterized in this article. Although both strategies are exceptionally viable and significant, researchers have differing conclusions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Therefore, to encourage further research, there is a need for additional studies aimed at standardizing and promoting best practices for instrumental examinations in infants.