The following is a summary of “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Infants With GERD-Like Symptoms: A New Paradigm,” published in the July 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Fishbein, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to determine the prevalence of dysphagia and unsettledness/colic in infants presenting with symptoms resembling gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). They hypothesized that these symptoms were frequently misdiagnosed as GERD and that a comprehensive evaluation involving a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and an occupational therapist (OT) is essential for accurate assessment.
A total of 174 full-term infants under 6 months of age with typical development were included in the study. Among them, 109 infants exhibited GERD-like symptoms. Subsequently, SLP evaluated 46 infants for signs of dysphagia, while OT assessed 37 infants for signs of unsettledness/colic. Additionally, 26 infants showed a combination of dysphagia and unsettledness/colic.
The prevalence of GERD-like symptoms in the study population was 109 out of 174 infants. Among these infants, 46 out of 109 were identified with dysphagia, 37 out of 109 with unsettledness/colic, and 26 out of 109 exhibited a combination of dysphagia and unsettledness/colic.
The findings highlighted the significant prevalence of dysphagia and unsettledness/colic in infants with symptoms resembling GERD. It underscored the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving SLP and OT evaluations to diagnose and manage infants with GERD-like symptoms accurately.
Source: journals.lww.com/jpgn/Abstract/2023/07000/A_Multidisciplinary_Approach_to_Infants_With.6.aspx