Feeding refers to the process of eating or drinking which involves everything from preparing food and liquids for intake, chewing and transporting from the mouth to get ready to swallow. It also refers to all the behaviors around feeding like sitting at the table, finishing a meal in a timely manner, and eating a variety of age-appropriate foods from all nutritional categories.
Signs of feeding challenges include eating a restricted variety and quantity of age-appropriate foods, avoiding entire nutritional categories, avoiding certain textures or temperatures, pushing or throwing food, spitting food out or gagging, crying, or running away to refuse meals.
Feeding is important not only for adequate nutrition and growth development, but also for the social experiences of meal times that are foundational skills as children grow.
Swallowing refers to the process of ingesting foods and liquids safely and effectively. There are many complex timing, musculature, and coordination steps needed for that to happen from accepting, manipulating, and transporting foods and liquids to protecting the airway as it moves into the stomach.
Your child may have swallowing difficulty if any of the following occur while eating and drinking: gagging and coughing, a wet/gurgly voice, watery eyes, spilling out of mouth/unable to keep lips sealed, noticeable effort and strain, low endurance, and reflux.
Swallowing is important for safety so that food and liquids do not enter the airway. It is also important for effectiveness so that adequate amounts can be successfully ingested.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s feeding and swallowing, contact us today for a free consultation.
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