Feeding problems in infants and children
Can feeding really be a problem?
Most children enjoy food and like being around adults during meal times.however there are some who do not eat or refuse eating and drinking for various reasons.
Infants and young children can have problems
- Sucking from the breast or bottle or straw
- Swallowing foods and drinks
- Chewing solids and tough foods
- Opening the mouth and preparing the food to swallow due to physical disabilities
- Tolerating the sensations that come with the variety of foods and fluids
These feeding problems can range from occasionally missed meals to severe malnutrition and failure to thrive!
Listen to these parents talk about their challenges feeding their young ones…
- ‘ Oh my boy is very fussy, he needs mummy to feed him in front of the TV with his favourite show on…so much so I have to carry the DVD every where I go!”
- ‘..she refuses to eat any thing that has a texture…she is fine as long as the food is smooth and cold”
- ‘I make him sit on the baby chair, strap him up, play the video and feed him standing behind him…as long as he doesn’t see the bowl with the food and as long as the TV is on, I can get the food down…how else can I feed him?”
- ‘my maid mashes the veggies, meat and blends it into one mixture and we spoon feed her..this has been happening since 10 months of age…’
- ‘..we decided to agree for the tube as he has been vomiting since birth after feeds and his doctors say he has reflux, now he refuses even to taste foods…’
- ‘We find it hard to take him out to eat or even go out for gatherings…our 4 year old refuses to eat outside…he needs his blended food …at gatherings he will only take chips and nothing else..that too just a few!’
- ‘ my daughter can sit for hours with the food in front of her…if we don’t feed her, she wont even pick on it!”
- “ it takes an hour every meal..every one gets tired, ma , me and the maid”
- ‘ …he is a messy eater..he can’t feed himself and also has problems closing his mouth and chewing the food…his paediatrician says he has low tone …but will slowly pick up with help…’
- ‘when she was about a year old, she was hospitalized for high fever, and some gut related infections. She was in the hospital for a week ..since her return her feeding deteriorated..slowly she started refusing foods and now we have to blend the food, she also chokes on water and other drinks…the doctor thinks she may need tube feeding..’
- ‘ my baby has mild cerebral palsy, he arches every time we try feeding him..is this a problem?’
- ‘…she was fine till 3 months, then when we changed the nanny, problems started, she refused to eat for a while and we all started forcing her…now she cries at the sight of the bottle..she drinks only when she is half asleep..’
Parents here are talking about a variety of feeding and swallowing problems that infants and children can experience.
These problems could arise due to
- medical conditions such as developmental disorders, syndromes
- early negative experiences with feeding ( feeding aversions)
- Reflux that is untreated
- Behavioral issues surrounding feeding
- Food allergies
- Structural and underlying physical problems
- Muscle based problems as in children with cerebral palsy or other neurological problems
- Sensory processing problems
Thus as you can see many factors physical, biological and / or environmental can lead to development of feeding problems in the young. Past experiences with hospitalization, surgeries or medical conditions that made eating painful can eventually lead to chronic feeding disorders. When this continues malnutrition sets in and children end up in a stage where in they have no energy to eat and intensive intervention becomes necessary.
If you as a parent relate to any of the above snippets, do not wait for the problem to become chronic. Seek help. These children can be helped with proper medical consultation and guidance from trained professionals such as Speech Language Therapists with specialized skills in management of feeding disorders.
Article written by
Dr.Radika Vasudeva
Director
Consultant Speech Language Therapist
Integrated Speech and Swallow Works Pte Ltd
Singapore
