swollen tongue in one year old

My one year old grandson has recently been diagnoised with a swallowing problem that is interfering with his eating - he can only take very small bites and can only drink from a bottle.  I have also observed that he has what appears to be a swollen tongue.

My brother is severly Autistic so I am very concerned that these symptoms may be indicators of neurological problems.  Is a swollen tongue something to be concerned about in an infant?  

[Yao Sun, MD, PhD]

If you haven't already, you should discuss your concerns with the parents of your grandson, and have them bring them to the pediatrician.  A truly swollen tongue (enlarging over time) is concerning for the possibility of an underlying metabolic problem.  The pediatrician can do an evaluation to determine the probability of an underlying medical problem.  A referral to a feeding specialist can sometimes help if a medical or surgical problem cannot be found.