Cervical Auscultation (listening with a stethoscope over the baby’s neck or chin during feeding) is a useful tool for lactation consultants in assessing suck:swallow:breathe rhythms. Inaudible swallowing sounds become audible, and difficulties coordinating swallowing and breathing are more easily identified. This advanced practice presentation uses recorded sound files of cervical auscultation of breastfeeding infants to illustrate difficulties that can be identified using this method. Use of this information in clinical problem solving is stressed.

Conference committee: Assessing Suck-Swallow Patterns and Cervical Auscultation for Lactation Consultants are ideally combined into a 90 minute session. ***This presentation requires a very good sound system. The venue must be able to plug my computer (standard mini stereo jack) into the sound system or a separate quality speaker. A preamplifier for volume control is preferred.