FAQs

Infant FAQs

My child has a tongue tie but my pediatrician recommends leaving it alone. Is this standard care?

Unfortunately many pediatricians are not specifically trained in the area of intraoral restrictions. A common misconception is that if the tongue can extend out of the mouth, there is no problem. In actual fact, the tongue needs to move in many different directions and the ability to move forward does not indicate normal mobility in all directions. Tongue tie can affect a child’s oral motor development, often causing difficulty transitioning to solids, dental malocclusion or disordered sleep patterns. We therefore recommend dealing with tongue tie as early as possible.

My baby was nursing fine for 3 months – albeit painfully. He suddenly stopped and now only takes a bottle. Why would this happen?

Some babies with oral restrictions will appear to nurse well in the early weeks because they have high muscle tone which allows them to be persistent, despite not feeding efficiently. This is often indicated by feeds taking a very long time while causing significant pain to the mother. Your hormones may have ensured a good milk supply in the first three months, but if your baby doesn’t have a good latch, the milk supply is likely to decrease significantly as your hormones regulate, requiring your baby to switch to the bottle for nourishment.

Why does my baby refuse a bottle when she has no problem taking a pacifier?
There are several reasons why some babies take pacifiers but refuse bottles. Firstly, a pacifier is easier to suck on than a bottle/breast. A baby with oral restrictions may be able to manage a pacifier, yet won’t have the mobility to manage a bottle/breast. Another difference is that the pacifier doesn’t change – no milk comes out when sucked. Babies with feeding difficulties may refuse the bottle/breast to protect themselves from gagging, choking or gastric discomfort, but will ‘trust’ their pacifier. Babies with acid reflux will find a pacifier soothing as the sucking motion helps keep the acid ‘down’.
How long will it take to see a change with feeding therapy?
Results vary depending on the deficit and how many factors are at play. A simple tongue-tie can be sorted out easily, while gastric issues will take longer to work with. The earlier therapy is initiated and carryover at home is implemented, the sooner results will be evident.

Children FAQs

How can I tell if my child needs feeding therapy? Maybe he’s just a picky eater and he’ll grow out of it.
Picky eating is a vague term, used very differently in each family. Some parents are frustrated about the one thing their child WON’T eat, while other parents are dealing with a child who ONLY eats one thing. We all have preferences about food and children are entitled to as well. If your child has more foods in their ‘won’t eat’ list than their ‘will eat’ list, there may be an underlying problem. If you are searching for answers because your child’s picky eating is causing mealtime stress, poor nutritional intake and/or insufficient weight gain, a specialized professional will be able to help you assess the cause of the food aversion.
My child has a diagnosis of failure to thrive. How will feeding therapy help?
Failure to thrive indicates that something is not right. Your child may avoid certain foods because they have difficulty manipulating and chewing them due to poor oral motor development. There may be an undiagnosed gastrointestinal problem or your child may sense pressure around mealtime, causing them to disengage. Feeding therapy will help identify the root of the problem and make the necessary changes so your child will be able to get sufficient nutrition.
My child has sensory processing disorder. What does this mean?
Sensory processing/integration disorder (SPD) is a term used very freely nowadays. A child with SPD has a hard time processing the sensations they encounter. It’s a bit like having a ‘traffic jam’ of signals in their brain. They may seek out more sensory stimulation, (eg. chew their clothes, climb the furniture,) or they may tune out to avoid too many sensations flooding their brain. SPD usually affects more than just the child’s eating habits; disrupting their attention, focus and sometimes sleep. When we put on ‘sensory glasses’, we can help by recognizing which stimuli they do/don’t need.
How long will it take to see a change/improvement in my child’s eating habits?
Results vary from a few visits to a few months, depending on the deficit. The earlier therapy is initiated and implemented at home,, the sooner results will be evident.