Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis

<b>Background:</b> Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a complex congenital disorder often accompanied by long-term feeding difficulties. There is a paucity of published data regarding the impact of swallowing difficulties on long-term patient outcomes. Our study attempts to evaluat...

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Main Authors: Jamie Gilley, Elise Whalen, Audrey Latimore, Viviane Jung, Joseph Hagan, Alice King
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Pediatric Reports
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/3
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author Jamie Gilley
Elise Whalen
Audrey Latimore
Viviane Jung
Joseph Hagan
Alice King
author_facet Jamie Gilley
Elise Whalen
Audrey Latimore
Viviane Jung
Joseph Hagan
Alice King
author_sort Jamie Gilley
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a complex congenital disorder often accompanied by long-term feeding difficulties. There is a paucity of published data regarding the impact of swallowing difficulties on long-term patient outcomes. Our study attempts to evaluate this phenomenon. <b>Methods:</b> A retrospective chart review of infants born with CDH between 2021 and 2022 identified 45 patients. The following variables were identified: need for swallow study, stomach location, defect type, need for anti-reflux therapy, need for nasogastric tube (NG) or gastric tube (GT) at time of discharge, poor growth, and frequency of respiratory infections during the first 12 months of life. <b>Results:</b> Thirty-one percent of patients (<i>n</i> = 14) underwent a swallow study, 20% (<i>n</i> = 9) required long-term anti-reflux medications, 18% (<i>n</i> = 8) had a GT and 59% (<i>n</i> = 26) had an NG in place at time of discharge, 44% (<i>n</i> = 17) experienced poor growth as an outpatient, and 35% (<i>n</i> = 16) had respiratory infections in the first 12 months of life requiring hospitalization. Infants with a Type D defect commonly required GT at discharge (40%), experienced respiratory infections in the first 12 months (67%), and had poor growth as an outpatient (67%). <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings underscore the need for routine dysphagia screening in CDH infants during NICU admission. Differences in outcomes based on defect type suggest that early identification and targeted interventions for feeding and swallowing issues may improve long-term growth and respiratory outcomes for CDH patients. Further studies are warranted to develop standardized dysphagia management guidelines for this population.
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spelling doaj-art-4eab725ef4204cafa89492bf467f59ab2025-08-20T02:44:32ZengMDPI AGPediatric Reports2036-75032025-01-01171310.3390/pediatric17010003Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective AnalysisJamie Gilley0Elise Whalen1Audrey Latimore2Viviane Jung3Joseph Hagan4Alice King5Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Divisions of Pulmonology and Advanced Practice Providers, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Speech, Language, and Learning, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Speech, Language, and Learning, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA<b>Background:</b> Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a complex congenital disorder often accompanied by long-term feeding difficulties. There is a paucity of published data regarding the impact of swallowing difficulties on long-term patient outcomes. Our study attempts to evaluate this phenomenon. <b>Methods:</b> A retrospective chart review of infants born with CDH between 2021 and 2022 identified 45 patients. The following variables were identified: need for swallow study, stomach location, defect type, need for anti-reflux therapy, need for nasogastric tube (NG) or gastric tube (GT) at time of discharge, poor growth, and frequency of respiratory infections during the first 12 months of life. <b>Results:</b> Thirty-one percent of patients (<i>n</i> = 14) underwent a swallow study, 20% (<i>n</i> = 9) required long-term anti-reflux medications, 18% (<i>n</i> = 8) had a GT and 59% (<i>n</i> = 26) had an NG in place at time of discharge, 44% (<i>n</i> = 17) experienced poor growth as an outpatient, and 35% (<i>n</i> = 16) had respiratory infections in the first 12 months of life requiring hospitalization. Infants with a Type D defect commonly required GT at discharge (40%), experienced respiratory infections in the first 12 months (67%), and had poor growth as an outpatient (67%). <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings underscore the need for routine dysphagia screening in CDH infants during NICU admission. Differences in outcomes based on defect type suggest that early identification and targeted interventions for feeding and swallowing issues may improve long-term growth and respiratory outcomes for CDH patients. Further studies are warranted to develop standardized dysphagia management guidelines for this population.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/3congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)dysphagianasogastric tube (NG)gastric tube (GT)
spellingShingle Jamie Gilley
Elise Whalen
Audrey Latimore
Viviane Jung
Joseph Hagan
Alice King
Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
Pediatric Reports
congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
dysphagia
nasogastric tube (NG)
gastric tube (GT)
title Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
title_full Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
title_fullStr Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
title_short Exploring Dysphagia in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis
title_sort exploring dysphagia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia a retrospective analysis
topic congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
dysphagia
nasogastric tube (NG)
gastric tube (GT)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/3
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AT vivianejung exploringdysphagiaincongenitaldiaphragmaticherniaaretrospectiveanalysis
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