To Gene and re OMD

[Guest guest]

Hi Guys,

Just a thought on feeding kids with oral motor dysfunction (OMD).

My daughter Jillie age 2 1/2 has severe OMD and is predominantly

tube fed. I spend hours a day (common story I know) trying to get

Jillie to eat. I've tried every texture out there and she has a lot

of difficulty coping with any but a baby food texture - unless it's

cheese and she can manage to eat that OK.

A couple of months ago her oral calories dropped and she would

barely take in anything. She went off all her favorite foods

(hummus, cheese, ice cream) and pushed everything away. I couldn't

find anything physically wrong with her (i.e. tonsillitis).

I started liquidizing everything I ate - and I mean everything, and

her apetite improved. Spinach pie with cheese sauce, quiche with

pasta sauce, beef and lentil stew, rice and beans. To make them a

better consistency, I added olive oil, cream, broth or tomato

sauces. I think she had gotten bored with the same stuff and was

getting physically tired trying to chew or manage unusual textures

in her mouth. I still work on other textures but at a separate time

from mealtimes so that we are not pressured to have them count in

her calories. Mealtimes are quicker and if she pushes it away, I

know it's a taste vs texture issue and can quickly move on to the

next liquidized concoction.

Hope this helps someone out there. Hope your holidays are healthy

and filled with love.