Difficulty in swallowing, with aspiration pneumonia in infancy.

Abstract

Of 27 infants with difficulty in swallowing resulting in aspiration pneumonia, 18 were suffering from cerebral palsy with athetosis, 3 were thought to have pharyngeal muscle incoordination, and 1 had familial dysautonomia. Five infants are described in whom the etiology of difficulty in swallowing could not be attributed to any of the known causes. Generalized muscular hypotonia was present in 3 patients. The mothers of all 5 had hydramnios, and 2 reported weak fetal movements. Difficulty in swallowing may be due to hypotonia of the pharyngeal muscle.