Recent gift allows for expansion of feeding program for infants
Babies in the Blanche Swanzy Lange Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( NICU ) at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas have an important job : eating . But coordinating sucking , swallowing and breathing is a tough task , especially for babies born prematurely or who have a birth defect . If not diagnosed early , feeding problems can progress and lead to the need for tube feeding , emergency room visits for dehydration or aspiration , or even the development of chronic lung disease .
Fortunately , Baylor ’ s NICU is equipped with special diagnostic tools that allow clinicians to diagnose feeding problems while infants are in the NICU . Baylor is one of few places in the world where clinicians are using Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing ( FEES ) exams on newborns . The procedure involves inserting a tiny fiberoptic scope with a camera into the baby ’ s nose while he or she is breastfeeding or bottle-feeding .
Currently , the program is limited to infants who are inpatients in the NICU . But thanks to a recent generous gift from Pauline and Austin Neuhoff , FEES will also be available on an outpatient basis .
“ Previously , moms would have the FEES test done in the hospital and then they would take their baby home . If they had a feeding problem at home , there was no way to bring their baby back to allow us to re-test them ,” said Jenny Reynolds , a neonatal speech and language pathologist who helped launch the FEES program at Baylor . Families who need an outpatient feeding study for their infant are often placed on waiting lists for weeks or months at hospitals that do not offer FEES .
When Baylor Dallas ’ center is created , it will serve families all over the region . Neonatologists , ENTs , pediatricians or other physicians will be able to refer families to Baylor for the outpatient program . In the first year alone , more than 600 patients will be served , and as clinicians in the region become aware of the program , services are expected to double in subsequent years . In addition to diagnosing feeding problems using the FEES exam , the center will also offer lactation consultations , evaluations with neonatal speech pathologists and occupational therapists . Other components will include free educational classes to parents about feeding , as well as research and continuing education for other clinicians .
“ Additionally , we want to be the first hospital to offer a NICU FEES continuing education course for
Jacob Cermenio participates in the FEES program
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