I posted here last week with difficulties I've had finding an adequate thickener for DS. I've been using rice cereal for the past few days, based on your suggestions. Very long story, but not all his liquids were thickened over the past week and he was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday. It's the first time he was diagnosed with pneumonia since we found out he was aspirating and started thickening his liquids.
I just received an email from his swallowing specialist about this, and she said that based on what she observed during her last visit, she thinks DS might be aspirating his saliva when he eats hard foods. (She didn't say which ones.) I have no idea why she didn't mention this then as I would have stopped hard solids if I knew. We had been encouraged to give him lolipops to help with his oral aversions, but now I'm thinking that if he aspirates his saliva, lolipops are the absolute last thing he should have.
I can't imagine having spent all that time getting DS to eat certain foods only to have to take them away now because they're not safe. Arggh!
DS is starting to eat a lot more solids (he was on only liquids until a few months ago) and we've been encouraged to give him as much a variety as he will take. But now I'm worried that not all solids are safe for him, and I'm not confident his specialists are being as proactive as they could be. His 1 x week SLP hasn't done any feeding work with him for a month; she's been emphasizing upper body strength, but not spending time eating with him. I can't always hear the congestion the specialists can, so I can't always judge whether something is safe for him. I'm feeling desperate for more/better help.
If your child aspirates are there any solids you also avoid?
I just received an email from his swallowing specialist about this, and she said that based on what she observed during her last visit, she thinks DS might be aspirating his saliva when he eats hard foods. (She didn't say which ones.) I have no idea why she didn't mention this then as I would have stopped hard solids if I knew. We had been encouraged to give him lolipops to help with his oral aversions, but now I'm thinking that if he aspirates his saliva, lolipops are the absolute last thing he should have.
I can't imagine having spent all that time getting DS to eat certain foods only to have to take them away now because they're not safe. Arggh!
DS is starting to eat a lot more solids (he was on only liquids until a few months ago) and we've been encouraged to give him as much a variety as he will take. But now I'm worried that not all solids are safe for him, and I'm not confident his specialists are being as proactive as they could be. His 1 x week SLP hasn't done any feeding work with him for a month; she's been emphasizing upper body strength, but not spending time eating with him. I can't always hear the congestion the specialists can, so I can't always judge whether something is safe for him. I'm feeling desperate for more/better help.
If your child aspirates are there any solids you also avoid?