Other feeding problems we help

Our speech and language therapists work within a multidisciplinary team of other health professionals in order to provide your child with the most appropriate and effective care. Our team of professionals at the kids feeding team consists of speech and language therapists, dieticians, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Each of these professionals has a different area of specialist expertise.

In some circumstances it may be more appropriate for our speech and language therapists to refer you to another health professional within our team, depending on the difficulty they are experiencing. Therefore, along with the problems our speech therapists are able to help, there are many other problems our team are able to help with.

Constipation / diarrhoea

Constipation or diarrhoea occurs when your baby is not getting the correct nutrients in their food meaning their stool is not passing regularly enough and is hard (constipation) or is passing too regular and is runny (diarrhoea). Ths can cause many complications for your child. Our feeding team are able to provide advice on how to get the correct nutrients in your child's diet in order to prevent constipation and diarrhoea.

Cow's milk allergy in babies

Cow’s milk allergy can cause many symptoms in children, including; red itchy patches, digestive problems, vomiting and swelling. It is very unpleasant for the child and our feeding team can provide advice and alternatives to cow’s milk so that your child is still getting enough nutrients from other sources that are safe for the child.

Difficulty weaning

Weaning is the process your child goes through when they are becoming accustomed to food other than their mother’s milk. Children may struggle to wean due to, difficulty getting used to food textures and thicknesses or not being ready to wean. This list is not exhaustive, our kids feeding team are able to identify the cause of the difficulty weaning and can provide strategies and advice to help your child with the weaning process.

Discomfort with feeding

This may be discomfort with the mother or the child showing signs of discomfort. Our kids feeding team are able to identify the cause of the discomfort when feeding and can provide strategies and advice to help you or your child become more comfortable during feeding time.

Food aversions

Food aversions occur when a child refuses to eat certain foods, this may be due to texture, colour, thickness or any other characteristic of the food. A lot of the time strategies and advice can be put into place to help your child begin to accept new foods. However, in some instances this may be due to an underlying condition that causes sensory sensitivity e.g. autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this case our feeding team can provide specialist advice on how to manage this in context of the primary condition.

Food allergies

Like in adults, food allergies can occur in children. Our kids feeding team are able to provide dietetic advice on replacements for these foods so that your child is still getting sufficient nutrients during development. We can also provide training on how to spot food allergies in infants and children.

Fussy eating

Fussy eating is similar to food aversions but is not due to an underlying condition. Children who are ‘fussy eaters’ will refuse to eat certain foods. Our kids feeding team can implement strategies to help your child begin to try new foods and can provide advice to ensure they are getting enough nutrients within their diets.

Gastroesophageal reflux

Infants commonly spit a little bit after a meal, this is normal and is part of gastroesophageal reflux. However, this becomes a problem when the vomiting becomes frequent, the child is becoming uncomfortable or the child is having difficulty feeding. Our feeding team is able to help children with gastroesophageal reflux.

Poor weight gain

Poor weight gain is associated with feeding difficulties, particularly if the child is not intaking enough food or food with the correct amount of nutrients. Poor weight gain can have many effects on an infant's early development. The kids feeding team are able to help children who are not gaining enough weight.

Respiratory problems

Respiratory problems (also known as breathing problems) can be a common cause of feeding difficulties in infants as they are unable to effectively coordinate their breathing with their sucking and swallowing. Feeding problems may alo cause respiratory problems and can be a common sign of dysphagia is the child is getting recurring chest infections or pneumonia. The kids feeding team are able to help children with respiratory problems associated with feeding difficulties.

Sleeping problems

Difficulties with sleeping are commonly associated with feeding difficulties. Our kids feeding team are able to identify if there is an underlying cause to these difficulties and are able to provide advice and strategies to help children and families manage feeding and sleeping difficulties.

Stress around meal times

A range of feeding difficulties can often lead to increased stress around meal times, for both the child and their family. Our feeding team are able to identify the cause of the stress and anxiety during meal times and implement strategies to decrease stress during this time.

Vomiting

Vomiting after or during feeding can be due to a range of things, including gastroesophageal reflux, food allergies, constipation and sensory based feeding issues. Our kids feeding team are able to identify the cause of your child's vomiting and can provide strategies ad support to reduce or prevent this from happening, ensuring your child’s safety.

If you would like any more information on any of these feeding difficulties or any of the services we offer, please do not hesitate to contact us on email office@sltforkids.co.uk or call 0330 088 2298. To find out more about the multidisciplinary services we offer please visit kids feeding team.