4 yr. old wont swallow her food

[bmaack517]

my four year old will chew food for 15 minutes without swallowing. sometimes shes left with literally smaller than a pea sized peice of food in her mouth. we give her juice, milk, water with her meals and she will drink a full cup inbetween bites. still sometimes without swallowing.we have tried rewarding, punishing, ignoring, almost any means to help her eat. she ate a cup of apple sauce today, but that even took about an hour. something is going on. we have doctors appointments next week but dont really think it is anything physical.  we are at our witts end. help please......

[margypops]

I also do not think this is physical but of course get her checked out,maybe its getting too much attention from you , so back off the talk about it, she has possible got into a habit and all she hears is you telling her to swallow .Try saying nothing for a few days once she doesnt get feed back ,sorry for the pun, she may swallow more ....

[AHP84]

My son did this same thing when he was between the ages of 2-4 primarily. Occasionally he still does it, but it's a very rare occurrance now. In his case, I'm pretty certain he has a sensory dysfunction, for which I'm currently in the process of pursuing an official diagnosis. But he would hold food in his mouth for very long periods of time--to the point where his saliva would have it digested and it would be liquified, and he'd still refuse to swallow it, but he also didn't want to spit it out. It was frustrating...he'd eat and then seem to reach a point that he didn't want to swallow, but didn't want to stop eating, either. He'd have his mouth stuffed in each cheek and not swallow. It actually took me time to talk him into spitting it out each time, for the years he did this frequently.
The good news is, he outgrew it. It was difficult not to get frustrated with him at first, but after it became so regular, I'd tell him he had five minutes to swallow it, and if he didn't, he'd have to spit it out so we could move on with the day (he'd do this when we'd eat out, too...so it's not like we could sit around for hours waiting for him to swallow). I'd say this matter-of-factly, so he'd know I wasn't upset with him and not be so anxious to spit it out. And like I said, this is a very rare occurance anymore.
Definitely take her to the doctor to rule out anything physical, but in the meantime, try not to let this get to you so much. I know it's frustrating; I've been there. But as long as she's eating something and not losing weight, then don't get too worked up about it. Let her know that it's okay to spit the food out (in a napkin or trash can) and move on if she's done eating, even if it seems like she hasn't eaten much. She'll eat when she's hungry and she needs to know that it will be a comfortable experience for her, physically and psychologically.
Keep us updated and let us know what the doctor finds out if you can!

[skepticalpeach]

I would definitely look into physical issues. She could have some major allergies that you don't know about. It could also be acid reflux or several other throat issues. Most kids won't starve themselves and will eat because they don't like to be hungry. It sounds like she is trying to eat and wants to, but just can't.

[tiredbuthappy]

i would suggest sensory if it were specific textures she wasn't eating. However, if even a cup of applesauce took so long, I would think something else is going on.
I have worked with many children who have eating problems, and there are many possible causes. I have an anorexic student (yes, at the age of 4). I have had students who didn't eat due to anxiety. While they weren't anxious about eating, the physical abdominal discomfort caused by anxiety prevented them from eating. Added pressure from parents to eat was just counter productive in those cases. I have had kids that do it because they are just being difficult. Like others said, some kids so it because of swollen tonsils, sore throat, etc.  I also have seen a worst case scenario- a little girl who stopped eating and took forever to eat who was diagnosed with a large tumor that prevented her from being able to.
What she is doing is not uncommon, and in most cases it seems to not be  caused by a physical problem. It is usually emotional or psychological. Still, it is important to rule out physical. Also, the doctor can give you advice on getting her to eat.

[littlebit667]

You did not say how long this has been going on.  If it has been for a short time a week or two (just guessing) she might have enlarged adenoids or a sore throat that is causing her problems swallowing.  that may be why she was able to eat the applesauce even tho it took awhile.  Some children with ear problems have trouble swallowing because it is uncomfortable as well. I would definitely check out a physical concern first.

[Sandman2]

      Actually, it could be physical - hope its not, but you won't know till you see the doc.  And you probably should go see an ENT doc or get a referral for one.  I doubt that a pediatrician can see far enough down the throat to know for sure what is going on.  Once you know that it is nothing (hopefully) physical, then at least you can rule out one of the possible causes.  

[margypops]

I doubt very much its physical unless someone is going to leap in saying its 'sensory' but I do agree that you should tell the doctor what you have said here to get someone else's input ..good luck

[margypops]

May I ask why ..does it matter if she takes time to eat her food many  do ,..how is it concerning if she chews away ..you would punish a child for not eating in the time frame you would like ?