Dysphagia in Children With Congenital Heart Defects

Course overview

Infants and children with congenital heart defects are at high risk for dysphagia due to altered cardiac physiology and developmental delays as well as consequences of surgical intervention and timing. These early challenges can result in persistence of feeding and swallowing difficulties into early childhood, affecting the parent/child relationship and overall development. This intermediate course will benefit clinicians working with this population by helping them understand modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors for dysphagia and how to manage and facilitate improved oral feeding and swallowing development before and after cardiac intervention.