There may be a small chin or lower jaw. Many children with dysphagia cannot swallow safely. They may not use their tongues or chew properly. Food may go into the windpipe instead of the esophagus. This is called choking, or aspirating.
Aspiration can cause damage to the lungs and pneumonia.
It can prevent oxygen from reaching the brain and may be responsible for mental deficiencies. It is important to prevent aspirations as death may occur in severely affected infants either at birth or in early infancy. There may be a small stomach. Some have reflux or acholasia where stomach contents go back up into the esophagus and then to the lungs. Another problem which can also be involved in the throat is the windpipe, or trachea, itself.