Occasionally, feeding difficulties can occur among children between six months and six years old. Many children outgrow them as they get older. However, if feeding difficulties continue caregivers must reach out to healthcare professionals for guidance. This can include speech therapists, pediatricians, occupational therapists, or dietitians. Experienced and knowledgeable personnel can develop strategies and suggest interventions that can address the child’s challenges with feeding and help them overcome those challenges.
Feeding difficulty is a term used to describe any difficulty or unwillingness to eat, drink, or swallow certain foods. This isn’t a term you would use for a picky eater. Instead, this is a more serious condition that can interfere with your child’s healthy growth and development. It’s important to address this as it could be an underlying symptom of a physical or mental health condition.
What Are the Causes of Feeding Difficulties
There are a host of reasons why a child may be dealing with feeding difficulties. Physical causes can include poor muscle strength or coordination which results in struggles chewing or swallowing. Sensory issues can make a child sensitive to certain textures or temperatures of food. When you consider non-physical causes it can range from stress, anxiety, or sensory overload. All of these reasons could lead a child to develop feeding difficulties.
Other causes for feeding difficulties include:
Food Allergies – An allergic reaction or gastrointestinal discomfort could lead to your child developing an aversion to certain foods.
Developmental Delays – Children who have developmental delays, including children who have issues with speech and motor skills. They may struggle with self-feeding or transitioning to age-appropriate foods.
Dental Issues – Issues with teeth or oral structures can make chewing and swallowing difficult or painful.
Behavioral Disorders – Some children with behavioral disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may exhibit feeding difficulties due to sensory sensitivities or rigid eating patterns.
Knowing the Signs and Symptoms
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of feeding difficulties is critical for early intervention. The signs and symptoms can vary based on the underlying causes of the difficulties, the child’s age, and their developmental stage.
Infants
- Issues latching or sucking
- Refusing to breastfeed or bottle-feed
- Spitting up or vomiting
- Frequent gagging or choking
- Frequent irritability or crying
- Poor weight gain
- Avoidance of solid foods
Toddlers
- Limited food preferences and refusal to eat certain food groups
- An aversion to specific smells, tastes, or textures of foods
- Specific routines during mealtime, such as eating in a particular order
- Taking a long time to complete meals due to slow chewing and swallowing
- Refusal to eat or disruptions during mealtime
- Gagging in response to certain foods or textures
- Signs of difficulty with swallowing, especially when transitioning to solid foods
It’s essential that some signs such as picky eating can be common with children and does not always indicate a serious problem. However, if the caregiver notices that any of these signs or symptoms persists and results in weight loss or nutritional deficiencies, you should consult a healthcare professional. Early intervention is key to promoting healthy eating habits in children.
What Caregivers Can Do To Help
If you are concerned about your child having feeding difficulties there are some steps you can take to help. Although this can be a stressful topic to discuss, inaction could lead to more serious issues.
- Seek professional guidance
- Create a positive mealtime environment
- Establish regular meal and snack times
- Offer a variety of foods
- Model healthy eating habits
- Promote gradual exposure to new foods
- Involve the child in meal preparation
- Praise your child’s achievements, even if they are small
Aprendo Creciendo: Helping Your Child Build Healthy Eating Habits
You can also look to Aprendo Creciendo for help with addressing your child’s difficulties with feeding. We offer feeding therapy. This service begins with an initial consultation used to address any feeding challenges. Our service can assist with a range of issues such as picky eating, food aversions, sensory processing issues, oral motor difficulties, and swallowing.
Our mission is to uncover the underlying factors contributing to feeding difficulties and provide guidance to caregivers. We want to equip you and your child with the necessary tools to promote safe and healthy feeding habits.
Please contact us to learn more about our feeding therapy and how we can get you started with an initial consultation.
