Gastroenterology

Children of all ages can experience feeding and swallowing problems. Some of the causes could include premature birth, birth defects, genetic disorders, food aversions, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, allergies, trauma, or injuries.

Our team provides specialized care by combining the expertise of pediatric gastroenterologists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, speech-language pathologists, and nutritionists. By coming together with a group of care professionals, we will address feeding and swallowing challenges for your child, at any age.

From day one, your child’s care team will stay with your child. They will get to know your child personally and work with them and your family to create a customized care plan. We also maintain close contact with your child’s outpatient care team to help monitor progress and provide updates.

During a feeding and swallowing consult, our team will thoroughly evaluate your child's feeding and swallowing issues. We will start with a telehealth visit to identify your child's needs. We will then connect you with the best services within our program.

Conditions for evaluation: 

• Oral aversion
• Delay in feeding milestones
• Feeding refusal 
• Dysphagia with unclear prognosis
• Feeding tube dependence 

Our team specializes in helping babies under 12 months with feeding difficulties by addressing concerns about their safety, nutrition, and growth. There are many reasons your child might be experiencing feeding difficulties, including:

• Coughing, choking, or gagging with swallowing
• Difficulty with breast or bottle feeding
• Slow feeding
• Volume limiting

Our well-rounded team includes a pediatric gastroenterologist, speech therapist, and a dietitian. Together, they will provide an evaluation and care play for your child. To meet with our team, a referral is required from your child's physician or current feeding therapists.

Infant conditions for evaluation:

• Coughing, choking, gagging with feeding
• Slow feeding
• Bottle refusal
• Poor growth

Our team is dedicated to improving your child's eating skills and behaviors during mealtimes. We offer feeding therapy through co-treatment rehabilitation. This rehabilitation service includes sessions with a feeding therapist and a psychologist. Through our co-treatment rehabilitation, we provide care that helps promote healthy eating habits and reduce mealtime stress.