Most of us eat and swallow without thinking about what is happening, but swallowing actually is a very complicated process involving the brain, nerves, various muscles, two valves and the esophagus.

Last Easter while my children were sorting through their baskets of chocolate eggs and jelly beans, my son looked up from the table and asked a simple question: ...

The trigger sets subsequent events into motion. The soft palate elevates to seal the nasopharynx to prevent regurgitation (velopharyngeal insufficiency [VPI]). The tongue pushes backward to meet the ...