child vomiting

[ria01]

My friend's 2yr old son vomits or gags on all foods. When he eats the food doesn't even get to his stomach most times meaning, it doesn't appear to be gastrointestinal. She has had a lower and upper GI done and nothing seems to be abnormal. "Mikey" was diganosed to be "tongue tied" (not sure of the clinical name) and had surgery to correct it. He received speech therapy. His speech developed rapidly after the surgery, but the vomiting has continued. The therapist thought that the vomiting was behavioral. Mikey is thin and mom is concerned about his nutrition. The symptoms don't seem to point to Chronic Vomiting Syndrome from what I've read (I am not a medical professional either). Mikey tries not to vomit, cries and wants to be consoled when it happens. He seems to be embarrassed, if that's possible at two. My girlfriend is beside herself and feels like a prisioner to her home. Eating out is out of the picture. She is taking him to an ENT specialist next month. If you have heard of a syndrome or desease with these symptoms or any info would be helpful and appreciated.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

This behavior is almost never rooted in behavioral or emotional factors. It usually occurs due to medical/physical conditions (such as reflux, vomiting syndrome, viral problems, etc.). The child's parents are correct in seeking additional medical scrutiny.