This course will focus on techniques to transition babies, at risk for feeding disorders, to solid food feedings. This novel approach integrates a sensory motor approach to feeding with modified baby-led weaning (Overland, L. & Rabin, J., 2019).
Feeding disorders are often present at birth and can be the first red flag for developmental disabilities (Overland & Merkel-Walsh, 2013). Feeding and swallowing disorders affect between 25 to 45 percent of the typically developing children and closer to 80 percent of children diagnosed medical or behavioral disorders (chw.org). The following, recently published, definition is based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines: “Pediatric feeding disorder” (PFD) defined as impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill and/or psychosocial dysfunction(Goday, P. Huh, S., Silverman, A., Lukens, C., Dodrill, P ., Cohen, S., Delaney, A., Feuling, M., Noel, R., Gisel, E., Kenzer, A., Kessler, D., Camargo, O., Browne, J. & Phalen, J., 2019).
Factors which may be associated with feeding issues include, but are not limited to prematurity (ie: extended NICU stays), medical issues (ie: cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal issues, allergies), tone/postural issues, syndromes (ie: Down syndrome, Velocardiofacial syndromes, Pierre Robin syndrome), structural issues (TOTs, cleft lip/palate), and less obvious factors such as epigenetics, assisted reproductive technology, advanced maternal/paternal age, and autism.
Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is a child-directed feeding approach that has gained popularity as an alternative way of transitioning babies to solid food feedings. With this method, babies are taught to self-feed table foods from the time they begin eating solids, versus the primarily adult-directed method of being spoon-fed purees. Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett, authors and pioneers of the baby-led weaning approach, state in their book that: “BLW is best with typically developing children and may not work with children with developmental challenges; however, if a BLW approach was utilized with babies with special needs, skills acquired with this method could be quite beneficial as well as therapeutic.” (Rapley, G. & Murkett, T. 2011). This presentation will demonstrate how the baby-led weaning method combined with a sensory–motor feeding approach can contribute to developing oral sensory motor skills as a foundation to ensure a smoother transition to breast, bottle and solid-food feedings.
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