Oral aversion issues?? - Joe

[Guest guest]

Hi Joe,

I was reading your email to Ken about your son, , and wondered if you

struggled with any oral aversion issues? My g-son, , has an extreme

oral aversion, that we believe was made worse by missed reflux issues when

he was younger. He has been 100% g-tube fed since he was 9 months old, and I

was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to get g-tube kids to eat

orally? We are still struggling with getting him to taste anything! His

favorite food/drink is ice water right now! LOL

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.

Pat (g-ma to , RSS, 26 months, 20# 7oz, 29.4 " , Prevacid, Singulair,

GT)

[Guest guest]

Pat,

Oral aversion was actually a HUGE issue for for many years (although

he never had much problem with reflux). He's always been very sensitive

to the texture of foods. Up until about age 3 he would eat pureed baby foods

only, in small quantities (he was mostly tube fed). We tried a lot of the

tricks and exercises that Jodi mentioned in her reply; I recommend finding

a good speech therapist who specializes in feeding issues, who can help get

started with these exercises.

It's doubly hard to tackle the oral aversion issues when the child doesn't have

much of an appetite to begin with, especially if he's full from tube feedings.

That's why we chose to do nighttime only tube feedings, so would have

at least some appetite during the day. Others have tried the strategy of first

offering their child food at meal times, and if they don't eat, or not enough,

then supplement it with a tube feeding. Talk to the GI doctor about this.

Once he does start to eat (it WILL happen someday, believe it or not!), you can

use

a blender or food processor to gradually increase the texture of the foods he

eats.

still struggles with some food textures; for instance, it takes him a

long time

to chew and swallow meat. He even used to " pocket " it for hours in his cheeks,

like

a chipmunk!

- Joe

> Hi Joe,

>

> I was reading your email to Ken about your son, , and wondered if you

> struggled with any oral aversion issues? My g-son, , has an extreme

> oral aversion, that we believe was made worse by missed reflux issues when

> he was younger. He has been 100% g-tube fed since he was 9 months old, and I

> was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to get g-tube kids to eat

> orally? We are still struggling with getting him to taste anything! His

> favorite food/drink is ice water right now! LOL

>

> Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.

>

> Pat (g-ma to , RSS, 26 months, 20# 7oz, 29.4 " , Prevacid, Singulair,

> GT)

[Guest guest]

Hi Joe,

I saw the email you sent to Pat about oral aversion issues.  That currently

is our biggest problem with our son Henry (3yrs, RSS 29lbs, 36in).  I missed

the email Jodi sent with certain " tricks " .  Do you know how I can get that info? 

Henry had a food therapist until he was 3yrs old but aged out of the Early

Intervention program and because he is gaining so well on the G-Tube no one is

that concerned about his behavioral problems with eating.  I suspect I will

need to request from his Ped. to perscribe a therapist or just pay out of

pocket.  But everything you described from food stuffing, to only foods soft in

texture is his story.  I think his reflux is worse so his eating has declined in

recent weeks.

In any case it would be great to get those ideas if possible.

Thanks,

, , 8 (nonRSS), Henry 3(RSS)