What are Feeding disorders?Feeding disorders are conditions where children are either unable or unwilling to eat. This often results in failure to gain appropriate weight (FTT) , frequent illness due to poor nutrition and possibly death. They are completely different from eating disorders. Eating disorders are more common in teenagers and adults, whereas feeding disorders occurs most often in infants and young children. These problems occur in an estimated 25% of children. They are most common in children with special needs. Children can be afraid to drink, take an extremely long time to eat, not eat age appropriate foods, or only accept foods of a certain color or texture. They may also refuse to self feed or have difficulty swallowing.
CausesMany medical conditions can contribute to feeding disorders. They most commonly occur in children who have been tube fed due to another illness. Reflux in babies causes frequent spit ups and is painful and uncomfortable. This will eventually cause them to not want to eat in order to avoid the pain. Other causes include undiagnosed food allergies , celiac disease, constipation and abnormalities of the throat and digestive system.SymptomsThere are many profiles of children with these challenges. Here are a few common symptoms:Complete refusal to eat and drink Taking a very long time to eat Frequent instances of choking, gagging or vomiting during meals Choosing to eat food of a certain color, texture or type Inappropriate behaviors at mealtime Lack of appropriate weight gain Inability to eat age appropriate foods
TreatmentTreatment includes feeding therapy by a trained speech pathologist or occupational therapist. Other people on the treatment team often include gastroenterologists, dietitians, behavioral psychologists, nurses and physical therapists. It is very important parents are on board with the treatment and are available and determined to carry over what is done in therapy into the home. The severity, age of the child, longevity of the feeding issue and skill of the clinicians all have an impact on the amount of improvement and how it takes to have the child eating adequate amounts of a wide variety of age appropriate foods.It is important to realize many children go through food jags and become picky eaters during toddler hood. Growth also naturally slows during this time. Picky toddlers are very normal and not a cause for concern. If however, you feel your child has feeding issues that go beyond that of a picky toddler, seek feeding therapy and consult with us or a dietitian in your area for techniques on how to help them.
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