.svg?iar=0&hash=F6049510E33E4E6D8196C26CCC0A64A4){kind=logo}
/hfh-logo-main--white.svg?iar=0&hash=ED491CBFADFB7670FAE94559C98D7798){kind=logo}
Healthy Habits Start Here
There isn’t a manual for raising healthy, happy kids. Every family and child has different needs. Whether you’re facing a picky eater or the flu, the Henry Ford LiveWell blog offers advice and tips.
Pediatric Gastroenterology Advanced Feeding Program and Center of Nutrition
Our child nutrition and feeding experts offer the most advanced, personalized care available.
Child nutrition issues can be some of the scariest situations for a parent to face. At Henry Ford Pediatrics, we treat all child feeding and nutrition issues, from overweight and obesity to feeding difficulties and complex swallowing disorders. Our expert team works with you to develop a personalized, family-focused treatment plan that ensures the highest quality of life for your child.
Child nutrition and feeding issues: Why choose Henry Ford Pediatrics?
All ages: We treat all children, from infants and toddlers to adolescents. - Expert advanced feeding team: Given the complexity of many child feeding and nutrition issues, these are treated most effectively with a multidisciplinary team. Our team includes a pediatric gastroenterologist with specialized training in nutrition, pediatric dietitians, and speech-language pathologists with advanced training in feeding and swallowing disorders.
- Advanced diagnosis: When you are facing a child feeding or nutrition issue, you want answers. Our coordinated team understands this. We offer timely evaluations to help diagnose your child’s specific condition. Depending on your child’s particular needs, this may include a clinical feeding evaluation from a speech-language pathologist, a videofluoroscopic swallow study or other advanced diagnostic methods.
- Comprehensive, family-focused treatment: After your child’s clinical evaluation and any testing needed, we work with you and your family to develop an evidence-based care plan focused on the specific child feeding or nutrition issue, with goal-oriented interventional therapies. This includes providing treatment in a child-friendly environment to minimize stress on your child.
- Education and support: Managing child and adolescent nutrition and feeding issues can be an ongoing process. Before, during and after treatment, we provide you and your family with effective tools and resources that you can use at home.
- Research: Clinical trials and other research studies help to define the next gold standard of pediatric care, and our team is at the forefront of research. We remain on the cutting edge of new knowledge and are actively involved with others across the state, nationally and internationally to improve care. Your child may be able to participate in research and access the latest care methods through our science and learning.
Contact us
Call to make appointments at 866-434-1373
Frequently asked questions about child nutrition or feeding issues
-
What Child Nutrition, Feeding and Swallowing Issues Do You Treat?
Our team is experienced in treating all conditions and issues related to child nutrition, feeding and swallowing disorders, including:
- Poor growth and failure to thrive
- Digestive problems, including constipation, chronic diarrhea and malabsorption, and lactose intolerance
- Celiac disease
- Gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux and inflammatory bowel disease
- Restricted eating patterns
- Overweight and obesity, fatty liver disease
- Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
- Diabetes
- Child feeding difficulties, including food refusal, oral aversion, difficulty with certain textures and feeding issues related to developmental delay and behavioral issues
- Food allergies
- Dependency on an enteral tube (NG, G-tube, G-J tube, J-tube) and IV nutrition
- Pancreatic disease
-
What Can We Expect at Our First Appointment?
- Prior to your first appointment, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire about the specific child feeding or nutrition issue, and a food log.
- At your first appointment, you’ll meet the core members of your care team, and we’ll perform a full clinical evaluation, asking specific questions about your child’s nutrition and feeding.
- We’ll assess factors such as their growth patterns and may observe your child try to eat.
- Based on this first appointment and any existing test results or new testing, we’ll then develop a comprehensive, family-friendly care plan.
-
What If My Child Needs Another Specialist
In some cases, another condition can contribute to child nutrition or feeding issues. For example, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.
When additional care is needed from another specialist, we help streamline referrals to other Henry Ford Health experts and collaborate with them to provide comprehensive, coordinated care for all of your child’s needs.
