Food Aversions

My 4 year daughter has food adversions.  She has extensive medical condidtions is is followed by many specialists.  At 10 weeks of age she had ASD/VSD repair.  The surgery was very successful.  She was not on the growth chart before the surgery and remained below the chart until she was almost 4.  She weighs 28lbs and is 37in tall. She has seizures (both febrile and grand mal), but has not had one in over a year and is no longer medicated.  She is followed by a genetisist and we have completed the Signature Chip test to check for any syndromes she may have.  The results are in, but we won't know them until our appointment in February.  MiKayla has hypernasal speech and has been in speech therapy 4-5 days a week for over a year.  She also has been followed by a pediatric OT for about 6 months.  We had made some progress, but she still continues to eat only soft foods (mac and cheese, pasta, applesauce, icecream, and shredded cheese).  What she lacked in dietary needs we suplemented with Pediasure.  She continues to grow, but at a slower pace than children her age.  She has been diagnosed with VPI and 2 weeks ago had surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids (adenoids).  The surgey went well, but now Mikayla has difficulty managing liquids and has lost all interest in her Pediasure.  I don't think that this aversion is due to pain as she is eating her normal soft foods.  My concern is that she no longer gets her dietary needs from the Pediasure.  Is there any way that the surgery could change the way she swallows?  She has had a swallow study and we were told that she had difficulty making a bolus and transitioning food from the front of her mouth to the back.  Should we ask to have another swallow study to see if there is any difference since the surgery?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Yes, that would be a reasonable step, but give her some time. The surgery was not long ago, and you want to allow for a full recovery from the procedure.