I'm not sure if this is where this question belongs, but I thought it might be a sensory issue.

Eric doesn't chew his food. There were times when I thought he was, but after reading an article on this I found out he was just mashing it up with the roof of his mouth and tongue before he swallowed. I read that if a baby under the age of 3 "chews" with their mouth closed they aren't really chewing, because it's a hard task to learn. Which is why you hear parents always saying "chew with you mouth closed!"

He always chokes, coughs, gags at meal time. I didn't think much of it because he is so young and just learning (he always has, now it seems better though). Plus the obvious, reflux. But I was trying to figure out why he isn't gaining well when I know (or at least felt) he's eating enough to gain, and this is what I came up with after a few searches on the internet last night.

Evidently when they swallow food whole they aren't getting very much nutrients from the food. That would explain why I feel he eats enough but still isn't gaining. It would also explain some other tummy troubles as well.(':roll:')

He also still has a hard time with liquids (choking, spilling out of mouth, spitting, coughing) so he doesn't drink enough either.

Does anyone know if these two things are connected somehow? Is this dysophagia?
I'm hoping maybe someone here will have some kind of idea what to do for these problems, or at least lead me in the right direction. I need more info. Could both these problems be GERD related, and if so what do I do. Does this mean I am wrong in thinking that the heart burn pain is gone, or could these things just be learned from when he WAS in pain? Could there be some damage causing him discomfort and making him eat improperly? Any input you have or any info you want to share with me would be appreciated.


I'm thinking I need to go back and talk to the doc about all this. What kind of can of worms am I opening now?! URGH! How do they determine whether these eating difficulties are sensory related or an actual physical problem?

How do "they" figure this one out?

Minnie,

Does Eric also have major delays with his speech? One thing that you can do to encourage him to use his tongue to move the food around and to bite is to alternate which side of his mouth you put the food in. This will force him to use his tongue to move it around a bit. It may take a while, but it should help. Since he's still gagging, choking, etc. when given food at 1 year, I'd look into feeding therapy with an OT and a ST in order to avoid any having his present oral aversion worsen. You might want to consider looking into medicating him again too, especially if the gagging, vomiting and aversions became worse after you took him off the med.

"Does Eric also have major delays with his speech?"

He's still kinda too young to tell for sure. He "talks" but just jibber jabber that doesn't seem to mean anything to him or to us. He makes "monster noises" and lot's of gurgle noises too. The doc's said they won't worry about him not talking unless he still isn't talking at 18 months. I'm not sure what the "norm" is on this. Emilia was a very early talker. She started talking before she sat, and was speaking 3 word sentences before she even walked, at 16 months (the physical milestones were harder for her. Not that speech isn't physical). I guess I just have to give that one some more time.

I really can't say that this has become "worse" after no meds. It's just something that has always been with meds or without.
It goes like this usually.
I give him something new as far as food. He carefully examines it, and does all kinds of things with it in his mouth including chewing, spitting back out, putting it back in, etc. The next time he has the food he does the same, just a lot of experimenting. Then after a few times having it (if he likes it), and he becomes used to it, it just goes straight down with a grimus on his face, sometimes it's effortless and you can't even tell that's what he just did. Sometimes he crams things into his mouth so super fast , and he just swallows it, and I end up having to take it all away. It's as if his goal is too figure out a way to just get it down as quickly as possible. It's like he gets better at swallowing the item whole once he's used to it, if that makes since. So there's less choking than ever before, but also less chewing, which isn't good.
As far as the liquids go, he can't do juice or water at all. He never has been able to, he takes a sip chokes and he's done. I don't even bother with it anymore. Milk, he's more interested in (Because it's thicker?) and even though it makes him choke at times he still will take a few sips, and seems to enjoy it. Just not enough to get the amount he "should" be drinking in there.
Lately I noticed he has a new "trick" after he has had a few successful bites of something (meaning no choking and he really digs whatever it is) He'll pick up his cup, and he will drink from his cup just like any kid does, no choking or breathing weirdness. Like "Now I remember how to swallow, hurry take a drink of milk before my body forgets how again!"

Also the only times I have noticed him swallowing whole is when he is feeding himself. If I'm the one putting it in he does pretty well with it, except stage 3 type textures, they aren't going to happen. LOL ( I think we have had a few posts here about that one)

I feel like just going back to all purees again, but he really wants do it himself and is losing interest in them. The only baby food he seems to still enjoy is the cereal and some of the fruits.
He also still sneezes after he eats. I always thought that his sneezing was from the food coming back up, but that doesn't seem to be happening anymore, so maybe it's from all the liquid going down wrong?

It's weird, as unpleasant as all this feeding sounds he seems to be loving it. It's like the coughing and choking doesn't even phase him, he just keeps going at it with this huge "I love this food" smile on his face, but that's Eric. He just keeps going, being happy and nothings gonna stop him. He'll fall and bang his head and get right back up and continue doing whatever it was he was doing. Sometimes he even laughs when he falls.

The milk on the other hand he does eventually get mad at and it always ends up on the floor several times. LOL

I think I will talk to the ped about a ST and maybe a swallow study. I REALLY don't want this to get worse and from what I have learned so far that's what usually happens if somethings not done to correct it.

Thank you for listening to all my out loud thinking, and wondering. I appreciate it Janette. I appreciate very much :)

Sometimes just typing and putting it all into words helps me understand everything better. Maybe I should write the doc a letter instead! LOL That's how I got Eric to see a GI within a week instead of waiting for 2 months. I sent a fax
Hey, there's an idea.

Thank you for listening to all my out loud thinking, and wondering. I appreciate it Janette. I appreciate very much :).
LOL Minnie! That's why we're all here. From what you've said in your second post, it almost sounds like he's just exploring with the new foods. It's still worth while trying the feeding thing that I suggested, just in case it helps...

" From what you've said in your second post, it almost sounds like he's just exploring with the new foods"

Thanks Janette,

Yeah,
He wouldn't be as willing to try new things if there was a problem, right? It's like he can do it all, but he prefers to do it wrong.

And if the liquid problem WAS dysophagia, he wouldn't be able to swallow things whole, right? That, and he wouldn't be able to do it without choking sometimes, right? Well, maybe I suppose.

LOL look at me treating you like your the God of eating or something!


I'll just keep an I on it, and be glad that I am aware of these problems that GERD can cause.
I'm going to stop worrying now. It's just hard not to. I mean to go from a baby that used to quit breathing several times a day, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and was so obviously in pain, to the baby I have now. It's hard to adjust without a little worry.

Emilia used to just eat, poop, pee, and grow. Just like she was supposed to. He definitely isn't anything like his sister.

"Just get back up on the charts at your next appointment Eric, so I can move on, would ya!"

LOL look at me treating you like your the God of eating or something!
LOL Minnie! You're funny! You're right about keeping at it. That's all any of us can do with these little ones. My first child was so different, too. Simply put, he was a text book child. He did everything by the book.