feeding Therapy
What are feeding and swallowing disorders?
Feeding disorders include problems gathering food and getting ready to suck, chew, or swallow it. For example, a child who cannot pick up food and get it to her mouth or cannot completely close her lips to keep food from falling out of her mouth may have a feeding disorder.
Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia (dis-FAY-juh), can occur at different stages in the swallowing process:
Oral phase – sucking, chewing, and moving food or liquid into the throat
Pharyngeal phase – starting the swallow, squeezing food down the throat, and closing off the airway to prevent food or liquid from entering the airway (aspiration) or to prevent choking
Esophageal phase – relaxing and tightening the openings at the top and bottom of the feeding tube in the throat (esophagus) and squeezing food through the esophagus into the stomach
What are the signs and symptoms of feeding and swallowing disorders?
Children with feeding and swallowing problems have a wide variety of symptoms. Not all signs and symptoms are present in every child.
The following are signs and symptoms of feeding and swallowing problems in very young children:
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
What treatments and therapy options are available?
Treatment varies greatly depending on the cause and symptoms of the swallowing problem.
Based on the results of the feeding and swallowing evaluation, the SLP or feeding team may recommend any of the following:
medical intervention (e.g., medicine for reflux)
direct feeding therapy designed to meet individual needs
nutritional changes (e.g., different foods, adding calories to food)
increasing acceptance of new foods or textures
food temperature and texture changes
postural or positioning changes (e.g., different seating)
behavior management techniques
referral to other professionals, such as a psychologist or dentist
If feeding therapy with an SLP is recommended, the focus on intervention may include the following:
making the muscles of the mouth stronger
increasing tongue movement
improving chewing
increasing acceptance of different foods and liquids
improving sucking and/or drinking ability
coordinating the suck-swallow-breath pattern (for infants)
altering food textures and liquid thickness to ensure safe swallowing