Barsan Kaya T., Surmeli Onay Ö., Erdoğan B., Sekili Z.
Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
Özet
ABSTRACT
Background: Laryngomalacia is characterized by diminished laryngeal tone, leading to the dynamic prolapse of supra
glottic tissues into the airway. This often results in inspiratory stridor, airway obstruction and feeding difficulties. This
report presents quantitative data on respiratory-swallow coordination recorded by NeoSAFE during breastfeeding and
bottle-feeding in a preterm infant with laryngomalacia.
Primary diagnosis: A preterm infant, born at 34+3 weeks of gestation and weighing 2090 g, was diagnosed with
laryngomalacia, confirmed by clinical symptoms including inspiratory stridor and feeding difficulties, as well as by
endoscopic evaluation.
Interventions: NeoSAFE, a device for real-time monitoring of swallowing and respiration, was used to record and analyze
the infant’s respiratory-swallow coordination during both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. Key parameters included
rhythmic swallowing rate, total swallow count, respiratory rate, and resting period.
Outcomes: The NeoSAFE data revealed a higher respiratory rate during bottle-feeding compared to breastfeeding,
suggesting potential challenges in coordinating breathing with swallowing during bottle-feeding. In contrast, breastfeed
ing was associated with a shorter resting period and higher rhythmic swallowing rate, indicating more effective
respiratory-swallow coordination. Clinically, less stridor was heard in the infant during breastfeeding, suggesting that
breastfeeding was better tolerated.
Practice recommendations: Based on these findings, breastfeeding may be preferred for infants with laryngomalacia to
improve respiratory-swallow coordination and reduce airway complications. The NeoSAFE device offers valuable insights into
feeding mechanics, suggesting its utility in managing feeding strategies for infants with respiratory and swallowing challenges.