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Oral motor problems are usually present in children with feeding disorders. The suck-swallow-breathe pattern established at birth may be poorly coordinated. As a result, the muscles of the tongue, lips, and jaw are not properly developed enough to chew food properly. These children lack the ability to properly collect and contain the food on the tongue prior to swallowing Over time the perception that these food avoidances are behavioral in nature arises which often causes stress within the home as parents worry about diet quality and intake amount.  Food is a sensory experience often rejected by children with poor oral sensory control and regulation skills.

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Parents are often the first to detect feeding problem in children.  As an infant, the child could experience difficulty with:



• latching to breastfeed

• sucking on a bottle nipple and requiring a large hole

• reflux, colic, and excessive burping

• excessive air intake while feeding

• fatigue while feeding

• taking a long time to eat 

• clicking while nursing

• failure to empty the breast

 

As the child matures the parent may detect difficulty with:



• chewing and controlling certain food consistencies

• drinking from a cup

• choking or gagging on food products

• excessive drooling

• inability to keep food in the mouth

• avoiding certain food textures

• respiratory infections from choking

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Issues that impact early feeding development

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• tongue or lip tie (ankyloglossia) 

• torticollis 

• plagiocephaly

• hypotonia 

• poor coordination of suck-swallow-breathe skills

• laryngomalcia 

• laryngeal cleft

• premature birth

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