Difficulty in swallowing, with aspiration pneumonia in infancy

Abstract

Of 27 infants with difficulty in swallowing resulting in aspiration pneumonia, 18 were suffering from cerebral palsy with athetosis, 3 were thought to have pharyngeal muscle incoordination, and 1 had familial dysautonomia. Five infants are described in whom the aetiology of difficulty in swallowing could not be attributed to any of the known causes. Generalized muscular hypotonia was present in 3 Table Presented patients. The mothers of all 5 had hydramnios, and 2 reported weak foetal movements. The hypothesis that the difficulty in swallowing was due to hypotonia of the pharyngeal muscle is discussed.