RESPIRATION PATTERNS DURING FEEDING IN RETT-SYNDROME

Feeding problems are common in Rett syndrome in which there are charac teristic oropharyngeal abnormalities, This study investigated the ways in which individuals regulated their respiration accordingly, and how this affected their overall feeding ability, Respiration during feedi ng was studied in 28 individuals, recording nasal airflow, chest and a bdominal movements, and swallow sounds, Time to first swallow was defi ned as that between introduction of liquid/solid on a spoon and the fi rst swallow, Six individuals also had videofluoroscopy with simultaneo us respiration monitoring, Results indicated different respiratory pat terns according to the time to first swallow and neurological status; the amount of time spent in apnoea was particularly important, Videofl uoroscopy showed that apnoeas occurred most often when liquid was dela yed in the pharynx, but this could be overcome in subjects with a lowe r level of disability, The carer's estimate of the time for feeding wa s significantly related to the time spent in apnoea with liquids.