Your child may have a feeding or swallowing problem if she:
- Arches her back or stiffens when feeding
- Cries or fusses when feeding
- Falls asleep when feeding
- Has problems breast feeding
- Has trouble breathing while eating and drinking
- Refuses to eat or drink
- Eats only certain textures, such as soft food or crunchy food
- Takes a long time to eat
- Has problems chewing
- Coughs or gags during meals
- Drools a lot or has liquid come out her mouth or nose
- Gets stuffy during meals
- Has a gurgly, hoarse, or breathy voice during or after meals
- Spits up or throws up a lot
- Is not gaining weight or growing
Not every child has every sign listed here. Your child may show a few signs or many of them. Your child may be at risk for:
- dehydration or poor nutrition
- food or liquid going into the airway, called aspiration
- pneumonia or other lung infections
- feeling embarrassed about his eating problems. He may eat alone or refuse to eat around others
