Infant and child feeding and swallowing : occupational therapy assessment and intervention

Pediatric feeding disorders: occupational therapy’s role -- Development of oral–motor skills -- Feeding assessment -- Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle-feeding -- Difficulty transitioning to purees, solid foods, and cup drinking -- Swallowing issues -- Gastroesophageal reflux and other gastrointestinal issues -- Feeding aversion and transitioning from tube to oral feeding -- Pediatric nutrition -- Preterm infant feeding and nutrition -- Structural defects: part 1 - craniofacial anomalies, esophageal atresia, tracheoesophageal fistula, laryngomalacia, and laryngeal clefts -- Structural defects: part 2 - cardiac anomalies -- Feeding challenges for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Infant and child feeding and swallowing are complex processes that require integrating motor, sensory, neurological, cardiorespiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, and they are also sensitive to the child’s environment and the parent-child feeding relationship. Occupational therapists are experts in the areas of motor control, sensory processing, and swallowing function, making them valuable members of the teams caring for these children.

This updated edition of Infant and Child Feeding and Swallowing provides evidence-based information on how feeding issues develop and present, clinical assessment, intervention, and nutrition. New to this edition are chapters on pediatric nutrition, preterm infant feeding and nutrition, and feeding challenges for infants and children with structural defects and autism. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and current evidence, this text provides practical strategies to assess and address complex feeding and swallowing problems in infants and children. Provided by publisher.