My cousin has a little girl who will be 3 this month. She has had 2 incidents recently where she choked while she was eating. Now she refuses to eat anything - she hasn't eaten in a week! She is drinking liquids (they have added pedialite sp? to her drinks) and is having enough wet diapers. They took her to their family doctor who said she would eat when she is ready and it would be okay as long as she was drinking and having wet diapers. Has anyone experienced this or have any suggestions? They have tried anything and everything and the closest they can get is her putting her mouth close to a piece of pizza and then shaking her head no and saying "choke." Poor little girl has to be so hungry and this can't be good for her! Thanks everyone!
Thank you all so much! They have tried many of the suggestions that you have given but she wouldn't eat or drink anything other than iced tea! I have my difference of opinion in what they were giving her, but at the same time she stayed overnight at my house and I couldn't get her to take anything else either. She would just say "no, I choke" and not eat. She even went as far as feeding her older brother his lunch but would not try it herself. However, today they had a break through and she started putting her fingers in her mom's pizza, so her mom suggested she try it and she ate a little bit. I think it is going to be a slow process but she is starting to come along. Poor little thing. Thanks again for all of your input!
The poor little girl. She must be so scared! Have they tried smoothies? You can add protein and she will be at least getting something! Maybe she would eat baby food? or apple sauce, they are runny and she wont feel like she will choke.
You've received some great responses! We have a little one prone to choking due to a condition. It's tough but you can get through it!
I would suggest reverting back to baby food types. Smoothies are a great suggestion as are mashed potatoes, applesauce, mashed avocado, etc. Slowly build back up to cruchier foods just like you would when she started eating solids. Google "soft food diet" or something along those lines and see what you find. Milkshakes are also great, pancakes, eggs, yogurt, well cooked mac and cheese. Have you tried getting her involved with the prep of her meal? Maybe if she is interested in cooking or preparing it that would help. Also, what about showing her the process of how we eat, biting with our teeth, chewing with our teeth, swallowing our bite and how it ends up in her tummy? Just a thought. I'm sure you could get some images from your doctor or online.
I will tell you this, our doctor has told us from day one that kids will not really learn to chew their foods until they are 4 or 5. They need to be reminded constantly, encourage little bites and show them how to chew their food. Forget about the foods she choked on for quite a while and reintroduce them down the road. Good luck!
It must have really scared her, but I'm afraid that now it's become a vicious cycle of her being scared and it being reinforced by the adults in her life. As hard as it may be, I think the best thing would be to completely stop putting emphasis on her not eating. Offer her the yogurt and applesauce like that was the normal meal and just go on like nothing is wrong - no cajoling her or rewards for if she eats. If you act like it is no big deal, then she will too.
It sounds like they aren't cutting her food up enough:( Little kids need little bites!!
Maybe they can start with soft foods like yogurt, or even a smoothie she can drink? You can blend all kinds of foods into a smoothie or add pureed foods to yogurt. Avacado doesn't add much flavor, but it's full of good fats!!
As she gets used to those move on to mashed foods like potatoes, avocado, bananas, etc...
I'm guessing it's going to take some time, but she'll get back to eating eventually.
poor lil girl..feel very bad for her and her parents..its tough, and gots to be scary for her and her parents. Will she try and eat pudding? chicken soup, like the kind you buy in a pouch, its all liquid and the noodles are so tiny. or just plain chick broth. that will at least actually fill her up, and it has vitamins and protien and other good stuff. i can't imagine its too good for her to go much longer without eating. God bless...
I am so sorry to hear that happeend. The only thing I can think of is to blend foods in the blender and maybe she will eat the pureed food? Maybe make the foods tiny and she will eat the little bites? I would just give her one or two peices at a time?
Good luck.
How about trying to make her a smoothie w/ fruits, etc.? maybe she'd be up for drinking/sipping something if she's not ready for eating. That would be the first thing I'd try.
Is she eating too quickly? Bites too big? Obviously, there if some reason if it's happened twice in that short length of time.
Once she starts eating again - and it should be w/ SOFT, easily swallowed food, w/ VERY little chewing, i.e. mashed potatoes, banana, etc. I worked w/ a client who had a feeding tube and we went thru re-educating muscles in the throat. This is how I transitioned him and made him feel comfortable eating regular food again. It was a process, but eventually, he was eating ALL meals and everything he wanted, on his own.
Poor little thing.
When I was little, but older than 2, I choked on a crunchy taco. I was afraid to eat anything after that too.
It's just a fear that she has to get over, and she will. I swore I'd never eat a taco ever again, and I got over it.
It will just take some time for her to get over her fear. Keep offering her other things and just be patient with her. I would stick with soft fruits and puddings, yogurt, things like that that she can't choke on before working your way up to something like pizza.
She will be fine in time.
Best wishes!
Oh I can just imagine, but as the doctor said, she will start eating again in time. She is getting liquids, so that's good. Start her off with smoothies or soft foods. Try to encourage her the food won't hurt her again so she can get over the fear. It must have been frightening for her to go thru that.
