Pediatric Dysphagia and the Role of Feeding Therapy
By Melissa Perlee, MS, OTR/L Pediatric dysphagia is a condition where children have trouble swallowing. This disorder can manifest in various ways, from mild discomfort to severe inability to swallow, and lead to nutritional deficiencies, growth delays, and respiratory issues. The complexities surrounding pediatric dysphagia necessitate a multifaceted approach to diagnosis and treatment, with feeding […]
Encouraging Utensil Use
By Christina Martinez, OTR/L As exciting as it may be for children to begin transitioning to solid foods, it can get messy! Little ones learning how to feed themselves is an important part of development, but it can also end up with food all over their chair, on the floor, and on themselves. No need […]
Baby-Led Weaning
By Deborah Lee MS, OTR/L What is baby-led weaning? Is a popular approach to starting solid foods. It skips over purees and jumps into finger foods that baby can self-feed. While it is inevitable and common for parents to spoon-feed their babies until a certain age, baby-led weaning places the independence on babies to take […]
Strategies for Offering New Foods
By Karnie Babikian, Nutrition Educator Offering new foods consistently is critical in expanding a child’s diet to include foods from all important food groups. A diet that consists of foods from all food groups is one that is balanced– it contains all essential nutrients for children to grow and develop properly. Exposing children to different […]
Helping Children Establish a Healthy Relationship with Food
By Karnie Babikian, Nutrition Educator Many significant dietary changes occur in the first years of life as children transition from milk/formula to soft solids and eventually to a diet including various foods and beverages. In this period, children learn how to eat and explore what food really is- both of which play a significant role […]
When is the right time to transition away from bottle drinking?
By Nicole Tutaj, MA, OTR/L The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests getting rid of bottle drinking by 18 months, and sippy cups by age 2. Many parents ask why the bottle needs to go, here are a few reasons to transition to cup drinking: Bottles can interfere with appropriate oral development and alter palate […]
Making Mealtimes More Successful: The Division of Responsibility in Feeding – The Ellyn Satter Model
By Karnie Babikian, Nutrition Educator Parents play a big role in feeding their children and teaching them how to eat. It is important to recognize, however, that children need autonomy in this process. When parents take too much control during feeding, though with good intention, mealtimes become more stressful– parents feel the pressure of getting […]
Picky Eating – When should I be concerned?
By Madison Gwizdalski MS-CCC, SLP Picky eaters…. It seems like all of us know someone who can fit inside this category. Even as adults we can think of others who are very selective in their food choices. For children, it may seem as if your kiddos food preferences change weekly, even daily! But how do […]
Feeding Difficulties
By Angela Kurdzhukyan MS, OTR/L Have you ever wondered why your toddler refuses to eat certain foods? Or why they have a limited repertoire of food? Feeding difficulties can arise due to many different reasons. Below are few of the reasons a child may have problems with feeding or be seen as a “picky eater”. […]