By Stacey Arguello, MS, CCC-SLP, Kate Castro, MS, OTR/L,
ValleyCare Physical and Sports Medicine
M
any parents report that their child is a “picky eater,”
but when is a picky eater actually a child with
feeding or swallowing di culties?
Some children may have trouble physically managing
foods and liquids. Avoiding certain food textures may be
a tactile issue, but it could also be low tone in the mouth,
a motor planning problem, or trouble with the muscles of
the throat.
Symptoms of feeding or swallowing problems
may include:
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Frequently coughing, choking, gagging or vomiting
during meals.
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Di culty chewing food and moving food around in
the mouth.
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An unwillingness to try new foods or slightly modi ed foods.
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Prolonged mealtimes with frequent tantrums about food.
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Minimal or no interest in eating.
Raising a child with feeding di culties can be stressful
and it is best to get a referral from your pediatrician for
further assessment. A speech-language pathologist or
occupational therapist with special training in treating
feeding or swallowing disorders can provide a treatment
plan to improve your child’s eating and swallowing skills
and increase the amount and variety of foods that they
will accept.
Improve the eating experience for your child:
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Continue to serve foods even if they are initially rejected.
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Limit your child’s snacks, milk or juice throughout the day.
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Meals and snacks should be at structured times, while sitting
at a table.
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Serve small portions that are not overwhelming.
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Use smaller sized toddler-utensils.
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Allow eating to be messy!
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Make it a priority to have at least one meal a day with other
family members present, eating the same foods.
PICKY
EATER?
Swallowing, Feeding Issues May Be To Blame
Call your nearest ValleyCare Physical and Sports
Medicine location for more information:
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Dublin–
925 416 3667
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Livermore–
925 373 4019
P
ertussis, or whooping cough, has
returned in the U.S. and is at epidemic
levels in California.
It’s striking hardest among babies younger
than 6 months old and in teens.
Many sick infants have been hospitalized.
Some have died.
Pertussis can be prevented. A safe and
e ective vaccine, called DTaP, protects against
pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus.
Newborns should receive this vaccine at
2, 4 and 6 months of age. Two more doses
are given between 15 and 18 months and 4
and 6 years of age. Preteens 11 to 12 should
get this at their regular checkup.
Protection from the childhood vaccine
fades over time, so teens and adults need
booster shots (called Tdap) to maintain
the e ectiveness of the vaccine. Getting
vaccinated with Tdap is especially important
for families and caregivers of infants.
Women who deliver at ValleyCare and were not previously
vaccinated get one dose of Tdap postpartum before leaving the
hospital. ValleyCare Occupational Health Services o ers new dads
and adult caregivers of young children the vaccine. For more
information or to make an appointment, please call
925 416 3562
.
Whooping
cough
ValleyCare.com/maternity
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