We often talk to parents who are concerned that their child is not eating the amount of food or with the skill level that they believe their child should have. Of course, every child is different and may develop feeding skills at a slightly different pace than other children their age, especially when food allergies are involved. However, there is a general time line for when a child should be developing certain feeding skills. If your child is not reaching certain milestones he or she may have a feeding issue that needs to be addressed by your doctor and other health care providers (such as a speech therapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, etc.).
The organization POPSICLE (Parent Organized Partnerships Supporting Infants and Children Learning to Eat) has developed a fantastic questionnaire that can help you determine whether your child has a feeding issue. Each question is presented with educational info to help you determine an accurate answer for your child. This questionnaire can then be taken to your child’s doctor, in order to provide a detailed list of concerns.
