Feeding Program

The Feeding Program at the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Outpatient Therapy Center specializes in treating pediatric patients, newborn and up, who have feeding and swallowing difficulties. Our goal is to maximize feeding skills and improve our patients’ overall well-being through treatment, training, and parental support.

Services Summarized

Our multidisciplinary team of specialists works directly with parents to develop feeding techniques for their child.

Services Include

• Comprehensive clinic evaluation, if prescribed
• Videofluoroscopic swallow study
• Feeding therapy
• Family and caregiver education

Who Uses These Services

Patients with any of the following conditions may have problems with swallowing or feeding:

• Cerebral palsy
• Spinal bifida
• Sensory aversion
• Brain injury
• Prematurity
• Cleft palate
• Cardiac problems
• Reflux
• Chronic coughing/choking while feeding
• Muscular dystrophy
• Apraxia
• Down syndrome and other syndromes
• Tongue-tied
• Oral motor weakness
• Neurological problems
• Children with tube feeding
• Poor growth
• Respiratory complications, such as pneumonia

Services Explained

To be seen, a patient must first have his or her condition evaluated by a physician who writes a prescription. Patients may be referred to our Comprehensive Clinic for evaluation by a physician who specializes in feeding disorders or referred to the Outpatient Therapy Center for therapy only.

Evaluation

The assessment is performed by a specially trained occupational therapist or a speech pathologist. The assessment includes review of medical history, reports from other healthcare providers, parent concerns, and oral motor evaluation. A videofluoroscopic swallow study is often recommended.

Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study

During the study, the patient is given food or liquid mixed with barium, a radio opaque substance. As the patient swallows, the food or liquid inside the mouth is observed while moving into the esophagus. Therapists are able to observe on a screen similar to a TV. A video recording is made for later review. Consultation and education is provided to the family while viewing the video recording.

Feeding Therapy

Therapy is coordinated with the patient’s physician or the clinic team and can focus on some or all of these areas:

• Appropriate bottle and nipple selection for infants
• Decreasing oral defensiveness and aversion
• Learning compensatory techniques
• Optimal positioning to increase safety
• Oral motor strengthening and coordination
• Larynegeal and pharyngeal strengthening and coordination
• Diet modifications to increase safety and improve respiratory health
• Progress in amounts, textures, and/or new foods accepted

Family and Caregiver Education

We consider family involvement to be a key component of our program. We educate parents and caregivers on any potential safety concerns. We provide training in home exercise programs or strategies to ensure that the child’s treatment is able to continue at home and in other settings.

Meet the Mary Free Bed Treatment Team

A variety of specialists are available to best meet the needs of each individual patient.

Developmental Pediatrician - physician specializing in pediatric medicine (clinic only)

• Manages the treatment of each pediatric feeding patient and coordinates the work of other professionals on the feeding therapy team.

Rehabilitation Nurse

• Evaluates and monitors each patient, including height and weight
• Develops care plans
• Focuses on patient’s progress and education
• Collaborates with other care providers

Occupational Therapist (OT)

• Evaluates any difficulty the patient has swallowing and adjusts diet, as needed
• Makes recommendations for treatment
• Teaches techniques and skills for eating and drinking
• Helps with fitting and customizing adaptive equipment

Speech-Language Therapist

• Evaluates any difficulty the patient has swallowing and adjusts diet, as needed
• Makes recommendations for treatment
• Teaches techniques and skills for eating and drinking
• Helps with fitting and customizing adaptive equipment

Psychologist(clinic only)

• Reviews child and family needs and provides services, as needed
• Recommends behavior management approaches for treatment team and caregivers

Registered Dietician/Dietician Assistant (clinic only)

• Evaluates nutritional needs
• Provides individualized nutrition therapy and education for patient and patient’s family

Intensive Feeding Program

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids offers an Intensive Feeding Program for pediatric patients needing comprehensive evaluation and management of dysphagia (difficulty or pain when swallowing). The program is located at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in the Mary Ives Hunter Center (360 Layfayette SE). For more information on the Intensive Feeding Program, please visit the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital website.

Contact the Feeding Program

For more information or to make a referral, please contact the Feeding Program at:

Phone

616.242.0366 - or - 800.668.6001

Email

Peds.Outpatient@MaryFreeBed.com

Download

Outpatient Referral Form