EASY
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Cardon Children’s Medical Center also supports many programs and services throughout metro Phoenix for children with asthma: Cardon Children's Medical Center Asthma Support Group Join other families who live with asthma to share information and meet up for fun activities. Asthma Attackers This free swim program helps children live a healthy, active life despite having asthma by using swimming to provide both asthma education and breathing exercises. Camp Not-A-Wheeze In association with the American Lung Association, Cardon Children’s sends campers to this annual asthma camp every summer. Camp Soaring Eagle Cardon Children’s sends campers to asthma camp at Jackpot Ranch in Camp Verde, Arizona. Free for children age 6-15 years with asthma. • TK To learn more about these programs, visit bannerhealth.com/ CardonChildrensAsthmaEdu TOTALKID
RICK D'ELIA
the type Carter is referring to is the kind experienced by infants, usually in the first nine months of life. A baby’s swallowing coordination may not be fully developed at this age, so while a baby is drinking, some milk may drip into the airways and be sucked into the baby’s lungs. “Dysphagia is a common problem in infants that doctors often miss, and parents don’t know about it because it’s not well publicized,” he said. A baby with dysphagia may not have symptoms, or may wheeze, make gurgling sounds, cough and choke when drinking. Luckily, there's often an easy solution: thickening the baby's milk or formula with rice cereal or oatmeal cereal. When a thin liquid such as milk or formula is thickened, it’s easier for the infant to direct down the esophagus and, therefore, doesn’t drip into the trachea as easily. Just be sure consult your doctor first before trying this. Fortunately, most babies usually outgrow swallowing problems by 15 to 18 months. • TK
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