Thickened feeds tested to help kids swallow safely
NCT ID NCT04504227
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how different thicknesses of liquids (thin, slightly thick, mildly thick, moderately thick) change the way children with swallowing problems swallow. Researchers will use special tools to measure swallowing safety in 200 children, including infants who had a brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE). The goal is to find which thickness reduces the risk of liquid going into the lungs.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- thickened liquids (formula or breastmilk with rice cereal or Gelmix)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors choose the right liquid thickness to reduce choking and breathing problems in children with swallowing difficulties.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to clear guidelines, and results may not apply to all children with dysphagia.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2021
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Up to 21 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 0 to 21 years * Admitted to Boston Children's Hospital after experiencing first lifetime BRUE, or with dysphagia symptoms such that they would be at risk for BRUE or other symptoms of swallowing difficulty * Have had videofluoroscopic swallow study performed or might have future videofluoroscopic swallow study performed. Exclusion Criteria: * Any pre-existing medical diagnoses that exclude brief resolved unexplained event diagnosis including seizure disorders and cyanotic congenital heart disease * Any nasal/pharyngeal/esophageal anomalies that might affect safe placement of the pharyngeal motility catheter * Children fed exclusively by enteral tube * Allergy to rice cereal or Gelmix thickener, which will be used to adjust liquid viscosity
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Boston Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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