Thickening for dysphagia is so complex. We try to avoid thickening whenever possible, and consider it as our last resort for intervention, no matter the age of our patient… infant, child or adolescent.

Research can seem conflicting. Time to thicken is critical for thickening agents even those used somewhat routinely. That’s why I focus on the latest and most valuable research data in all my courses, so we can thoughtfully problem-solving for our complex patients.

This just-published article adds to our evidence base about using anti-regurgitation formulas as thickeners.

Tommelein, E., Baert, K., Ombecq, M. et al. Anti-regurgitation infant formulas and antacid medication: match or mismatch?. Eur J Pediatr 184, 336 (2025). 

Key Takeaways:

• Commercially available infant formula sometimes uses thickening agents to reduce regurgitation, but their effectiveness may vary depending on composition and gastric conditions.
• Some thickening agents require an acidic environment to activate, which may be compromised by concurrent use of gastric acid suppressants.
• Viscosity in some formulas changes over time, indicating that preparation timing affects therapeutic consistency

The full abstract is available on Google Scholar.