Infantile swallowing: history of the issue and modern view

Swallowing is a complex physiological process, which is ensured by the coordinated actions of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus muscles under the control of the nervous system. As reported earlier, dysfunction and tongue posture disorder are one of the main reasons for the change in the myodynamic balance between the tongue muscle from the inside and the muscles of the maxillofacial region from the outside. Persistent muscle imbalance can contribute to the disruption of the formation and growth of the upper jaw in postnatal period, vital functions, body posture, and as a result, affect the overall health and psychoemotional development of growing patients. However, the question of the role of tongue dysfunction in the occurrence of malocclusion remains are open today in growing patients. Article presents modern data from the analysis of specialized literature over the past 7 years from the search databases Researchgate, PubMed and E-library on the prevalence of infantile swallowing in children with mixed dentition, issues of etiopathogenesis and known classifications. Described influence of the studied functional disorder on the growing patients. Considered preventive measures aimed at normalizing swallowing function as one of the main factors for harmonious development dentofacial structures in children.