Pediatric Feeding Disorder
Pediatric feeding disorders occur when a child has difficulty preparing food or liquid in the mouth to be swallowed.
What is a Pediatric Feeding Disorder?
A child who struggles to prepare (chew) food or liquid in their mouth and swallow it may have a feeding disorder. Oftentimes, feeding disorders go hand in hand with dysphagia (swallowing disorders) and affect the child’s ability to get nutrition from eating and digesting food.
What are the signs and symptoms of a Pediatric Feeding Disorder?
Feeding disorder symptoms in infants (birth to 1 year*) can include:
Arching back during feeding
Coughing or gagging during meals
Difficulty breastfeeding
Frequent spitting up or vomiting
Irritable during feeding
Long feeding times
Stiffening the body during feeding
Feeding disorder symptoms in toddlers (1 to 3 year old**) and children older than 3 can include:
Coughing or gagging while eating
Difficulty chewing
Difficulty breathing while eating or drinking
Doesn’t accept food textures
Drool and/or food/liquid coming out of nose or mouth while eating
Recurring respiratory infections, including pneumonia
Refusing to eat or drink
Stuffy nose while eating
Slow weight gain
* Age of infants as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).**Age of toddlers as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
What are the causes of Pediatric Feeding Disorder?
Pediatric feeding disorders can be caused by a variety of illnesses, diseases and congenital (present from birth) defects. The most common include:
Behavioral Issues
Dysphagia (swallowing disorders)
Nervous system disorders like cerebral palsy
Pediatric Feeding Disorder Doctors and Providers
