Infant Feeding & Oral Function: Infancy and Beyond
Humans are often born with functional issues that create early feeding struggles. This can be due to physical limitations of the tongue and lips (ties), unorganized reflexes for proper swallowing/sucking/breathing, nervous system dysregulation, age at birth, and more. These systems are deeply connected, so an imbalance in one impacts the others. And they can all impact how well an infant can breast or bottle feed, transition to solid foods, how well they can breathe through their nose, how well they can grow a healthy face and airway, and how well they can sleep.
That’s why AirSync created the SANO Method in which we identify oral dysfunctions and collaborate with feeding therapists, lactation consultants, oral myofunctional therapists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists across the community. We offer in-house oral myofunctional therapy if you are not already working with a therapist. We also have partnered in-house with Becca Kneepkens MS, CCC-SLP, CLC who offers infant feeding therapy, lactation consulting, and early oral motor therapy.
Toddlers + Children
Oral dysfunction and feeding problems don’t only show up in babies. Toddlers and older children may present with picky eating, fast eating, slow eating, difficulty swallowing, heightened gag reflexes, need for extra water during meals, tongue thrusts and more. Oral dysfunction manifests in many ways; physically what we may see is tissue/tongue-ties, misaligned or crowded teeth, small jaws, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, prolonged bedwetting, recurrent ear infections, mouth breathing, disrupted sleep, and so much more. Oral myofunctional disorders absolutely require a long-term plan to correct the root cause and avoid neurocognitive and physical deficits later in life.
How AirSync Helps
We assess children, toddlers and babies as young as 1 week old for oral myofunctional problems. We then develop near- and long-term solutions using our SANO Method™. These include referrals to the appropriate specialists, oral motor exercises, BabyLase or OraLase, tools like MyoMunchee/early intervention orthodontics, and more. Call AirSync today.
More infant + children care
Give your child the best start
Early evaluation makes treatment easier and can prevent long-term problems. AirSync sees babies from their first week of life through childhood.