Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders

Scope of Care

The Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders Clinic at The Child Development & Rehabilitation Center serves children form birth to 21 years of age who are experiencing feeding and swallowing challenges. Those served may have difficulty chewing or swallowing, behavioral problems related to feeding, food refusal, feeding aversion, poor weight gain, difficulty advancing food textures, or are transitioning from tube feeding to eating by mouth.
The children we see often have medical problems impacting their feeding. These may include:

• Prematurity
• Cerebral palsy
• Congenital syndromes (i.e. Down Syndrome)
• Cleft lip and palate
• Congenital cardiac conditions
• Chronic lung disease/bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Failure to thrive
• Autism/pervasive developmental disorders

Examples of signs that may indicate feeding problems include:

• Coughing, choking, or gagging during a meal
• Poor weight gain
• Vomiting
• Total or partial food refusal
• Mouth weakness
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Resistance to food textures
• Behavior concerns at mealtime

Services We Provide

The Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders Clinic provides evaluation and ongoing management for children, youth, and their families who have feeding and swallowing challenges. The goal of the clinic is to establish feeding patterns that optimize nutrition and growth while supporting the child's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
Examples of the methods used to evaluate and meet patient's care needs include:

• identifying underlying medical conditions that impact feeding and growth
• identifying oral motor dysfunction and its implications
• interpreting the adequacy of growth and weight gain
• determining the adequacy of calories and nutrients in the diet
• evaluating learned behavior patterns, family functioning, and psychosocial barriers that my limit optimal nutrition and growth
• identifying the need for special formula, nutritional supplements, or alternate means of feeding
• identifying treatment strategies for children with oral motor or sensory based feeding delays
• prioritizing feeding goals for children with special health needs as related to development, physical health, nutrition, and psychosocial well being

Service Providers

The care team may be made up of any number of the following providers based on each child's individual needs: developmental pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner, registered dietician, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, and psychologist.

How to make a Referral

The Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders Clinic accepts referrals from primary care providers, parents, public health nurses, schools, Early Intervention/ECSE programs, therapists, and other health care providers.
To request a consultation or for more information please call: (503) 494-8095 or (800) 452-3563.

Download the feeding clinic intake form.

Research

Quantitation of Oral-Motor Function in Infants: Brochure, Poster

Training

Training - Students, residents, and fellows in medicine, nursing, speech language pathology, and nutrition participate in the Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Clinic as part of their training. Please contact each individual discipline for further information.