At a recent conference by two occupational therapist who specialize in
feeding and swallowing disorders of infancy, it was recommended that slings
not be used.  They recommended infant packs that keep the baby more upright.
 They showed videotapes taken of babies receiving thickened and unthickened
feedings.  The videos (taken during ingestion of feedings containing a
radiographic material) demonstrated that babies with some types of swallowing
disorders aspirated with thin, but not thick feedings.  (I have also seen
this with stroke patients, who choke on liquids, but not solids.  We also
thickened liquids for them with good results.)  This does present a problem
with breastfeeding.  Glass and Wolf, the presenters, and authors of a book on
the subject did not have a solution for this.  Some suggestions by
participants in the conference were use of an SNS with large tubing or
pumping off foremilk and giving hindmilk with the thickened foremilk by
another method.  To my knowledge none of the participants had actually tried
these methods.  We were just brainstorming.  Bonnie