"So if for any reason a baby has a weak
swallow-response to normal stimulus by a thin fluid the stimulus has to be
stronger to get a response. And a thicker fluid would be a stronger respons."

Gonneke,

I also understand that when a baby has low muscle tone and subsequent
difficulty swallowing that the tongue does not cup or curl up adequately and
the tongue's posterior doesn't form an adequate "bowl" to hold liquid,
especially the usual amount, so the liquid flows into the throat without
being held briefly to prepare for proper swallowing.  I was just thinking
about it and an analogy might be putting a teaspoon of honey on the back of
one's tongue as opposed to water; the honey (thicker liquid) will stay put
longer than the water even with a flat tongue.

I explain colostrum this way; it is thick so that while baby is learning to
coordinate suck/swallow/breathe in the first few days following birth mother
nature made it easier for him to practice with a thicker substance so he
doesn't choke.

Barbara Latterner, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Brewster, NY

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