Children's Hospital is part of the UPMC family.
Our Sites
Be safe anytime, anywhere.
To find a pediatrician or pediatric specialist, please call 412-692-7337 or search our directory.
A resource for our network of referring physicians.
For more information about research, please call our main office at 412-692-6438.
Ranked #8 Nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, we believe parents and guardians can contribute to the success of this test and invite you to participate. Please read the following information to learn about the test and how you can help.
A modified barium (BARE-ee-um) swallow, or cookie swallow, is an X-ray test that takes pictures of your child’s mouth and throat while he or she swallows various foods and liquids.
There are several reasons why this test may be prescribed, including: coughing and/or choking when eating or drinking; a wet sounding voice; changes in breathing when eating or drinking; or frequent respiratory infections. These problems may be caused by food or liquid going into the airway after being swallowed.
The modified barium swallow is done at the Department of Pediatric Radiology of Children’s Hospital. You will begin the appointment by meeting with a speech/language specialist, who is specially trained in swallowing disorders, to discuss your concerns about your child’s swallowing problems and answer any questions you may have about the test. The modified barium swallow will be done in a fluoroscopy (floor-OS-co-pee) room with the speech/language specialist, a pediatric radiology doctor who will be taking the X-ray pictures of your child’s throat, and an X-ray technologist who will be helping the doctor. In the room, you will see an X-ray machine, a television screen and a special chair. You might explain to your child that the X-ray machine is a large camera for taking pictures that will be shown on the television.
As a parent, you may have concerns about radiation exposure. Children’s Hospital takes every precaution to make sure your child is safe.
We welcome your help and support during this test. One parent or guardian is invited to join your child in the X-ray room. Other adults and children must wait in the waiting room. We also welcome your child’s community feeding therapists (such as a speech pathologist or an occupational therapist) to come to the appointment to share information and to hear the results of the test.
The speech/language specialist will show you where to stand in the examination room and will guide you during the test. Please follow the instructions of the medical staff performing the modified barium swallow test.
The swallow study itself takes about 15 minutes. After the study, you will meet with the speech/language specialist to discuss the results of the test and answer any questions you may have. You may be given recommendations to help improve the way your child eats and drinks, as well as for follow-up appointments.
If your child has any special needs or health issues you feel the doctor needs to know about, please call the Department of Pediatric Radiology at Children’s and ask to speak with a nurse before your child’s modified barium swallow. It is important to notify us in advance about any special needs.
Before you come to the hospital, explain to your child what will happen in words that he or she can understand. Preparing your child beforehand, as well as comforting your child during the test, will help your child have a more positive experience. Sometimes it is difficult to know how to explain tests to children. If you have any questions about ways to prepare or support your child, or you feel your child will have difficulty during the test, please call the Department of Pediatric Radiology at Children's and ask to speak with the child life specialist.
Locations
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
With MyCHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.
For questions about a hospital bill call:
To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.
Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.