New therapy for children's swallowing disorders at Gulf Coast Hospital

Gulf Coast Hospital's Rehabilitation Center has introduced an innovative medical treatment for children either born with swallowing disorders or who have developed them as a result of an illness or injury. Previously available only to the adult population in Southwest Florida, VitalStim Therapy is now available to children as well.

VitalStim Therapy uses electrical stimulation with specially designed surface electrodes placed on the child's neck to stimulate inactive or weak swallowing muscles in children with swallowing disorders. This system activates the key swallowing muscles and helps the brain create or re-learn the functional muscle patterns necessary to initiate or re-establish swallowing.

Children are evaluated and treated by Stacey Brill, a licensed speech-language pathologist who is certified in both pediatric and adult VitalStim treatment.

"We've seen great success with adults using VitalStim. I am thrilled we're able to offer it to every age now, so infants or children with feeding or swallowing disorders can benefit from this," says Brill.

Parents interested in having their child evaluated for treatment need a prescription from their child's pediatrician or primary care physician.