GOLD Learning Speakers

The prevention and early treatment of diseases is part of a Speech and Language Therapist's working field. The question is, at what point can SL Therapy have a preventative influence, what are the advantages of early consultations and treatments and what significance does a nursing and lactation consultation have in this context. Asha and Fletcher (2005, S.1) called a SL Therapist and a Lactation Consultant a "Baby's feeding dream team", so the combination of these two professions might be a good way to facilitate difficult breastfeeding relationships and reduce SL disorders over the years. Breastfeeding is the physiological way to feed a baby. It supports the Mother-Child-Bond and sets the foundation for the undisturbed organic, sensorial, motoric, cognitive, oral and social development. If there is a problem with the ingestion of food (oromotor dysfunction or dysphagia), the topic of breastfeeding tends to move to the background. But what if breastfeeding can be used as part of the therapy? Promoting early SLT and by supporting the breastfeeding and preventing the use of artificial teats, which can have a negative influence especially on the oromotor and muscle development, the outcome might improve.

For an infant, breast/chestfeeding and sucking is the normal form of feeding. If an infant is born with an underlying neurological, muscular, genetic or anatomical disease or if neurological changes occur due to complications, this form of feeding may be disturbed. Since the interaction of breathing-sucking-swallowing requires the coordination of over 60 muscles and several cranial nerves, even small changes in physiology can throw the system out of balance. Congenital-Heart-Disease, Down Syndrome or a disorder of the central nervous system due to pre- or postnatal trauma, infection or structural defect differ in their symptoms, but what they all have in common is that sucking and oral intake of food can be impaired. When working with infants or lactating parents, children with sucking disorders due to an underlying disease may also be present. It is important to know which underlying diseases can have an impact on sucking and how the children and families can be supported to enable or improve oral feeding and to be able to assess which interdisciplinary team would be useful to ensure the best possible care.