Oral-motor Deficits, Dysphagia and Feeding Therapy

Feeding Problems in Children

and Feeding Therapy

Dysphagia (feeding and swallowing problems), in children can result from a variety of causes.  The resulting complications can include mild to severe malnutrition, behavioral issues, and serious health problems.  By working with a speech-language pathologist, significant improvement can be effected in your child.

Recognizing Symptoms

Even a child incapable of speech can directly communicate a feeding problem.  Non-verbal clues may include one or more of the following¹:

Arching or stiffening of the body during feeding

Irritability or lack of alertness during feeding

Refusing food or liquid

Failure to accept different textures of food (e.g., only pureed foods or crunchy cereals)

Long feeding times (e.g., more than 30 minutes)

Difficulty chewing

Difficulty breast feeding

Coughing or gagging during meals

Excessive drooling or food/liquid coming out of the mouth or nose

Difficulty coordinating breathing with eating and drinking

Increased stuffiness during meals

Gurgly, hoarse, or breathy voice quality

Frequent spitting up or vomiting

Recurring pneumonia or respiratory infections

Less than normal weight gain or growth

Establishing a Diagnosis

Dysphagia can occur during any stage of the feeding process, from the chewing of food, formation of the bolus, to the passage of the bolus through the esophagus.  These issues can result from a variety of underlying problems such as muscle weakness, physiological malformation, and sensory integration dysfunction.

A qualified speech-language pathologist can be an invaluable asset in the treatment of your child’s feeding problem.  After a thorough evaluation, the professionals at Baron Therapy Services can determine the cause of the dysphagia and work with you in developing an effective comprehensive program to treat it.

Seeking Help

If you believe your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms of a feeding problem, you should seek help as soon as possible to prevent life-altering complications.  Research has shown that a speech-language pathologist is of significant benefit to the reversing of these issues².

1) http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/FeedSwallowChildren.htm

2) http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/public/speech/swallowing/TESPediatricFeedingandSwallowing.pdf