Barium swallow

What is barium swallow, barium meal and follow through?

Barium swallow, barium meal and follow through examination is a series of X-rays to show your child's upper digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach and the small intestine) by swallowing a white liquid called barium. Your child's doctor has asked for this test and we would like to explain this examination to you.

What is barium?

Barium is a white liquid with a milk shake texture containing a radiopaque substance (barium sulphate) which makes the upper digestive tract visible.

We have chocolate or strawberry Nesquik to flavour the barium.

What happens in the barium meal and follow through examination?

This test is carried out in the Medical Imaging Department at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. In this examination, a series of X-ray film are taken of your child's upper digestive tract.

The test is performed in a room with an X-ray table and a large camera above it. The camera is linked to a television screen where an X-ray image of the upper digestive tract can be observed.

The doctor / nurse will lay your child on the X-ray table and offer a chocolate or strawberry flavoured white liquid through a cup or a bottle while lying down.

As the barium is swallowed, the flow of the barium will be observed and X-ray pictures will be taken. The barium will temporarily coat the inside lining of the oesophagus, stomach and small bowel. Your child will then be asked to turn in a different direction so that the barium which they swallowed will flow through the tract quickly. As the organs fill with barium, loops of black gut will be seen on the television screen and a series of X-ray films will be taken.

The pictures are checked and the test is complete.

How to prepare for this examination