Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program

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If your child has a feeding disorder, the Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit can help.

Good Shepherd’s Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program is designed to improve your infant's quality of life through the development of personalized feeding management strategies, which are based on both clinical and evidence-based best practices.

It is imperative that newborns are taught early to transition to oral feeds. If infants do not develop appropriate pathways to feeding skills early on, it is less likely that they will develop them during their lifetime. That's where Good Shepherd's Neonatal Program comes in. The physicians and therapists in the program use innovative and therapeutic approaches to improve your child's feeding.

Characteristics of a Feeding Disorder

In Good Shepherd's Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program, we treat children who have feeding disorders, gastrointestinal issues and congenital anomalies including:

  • Failure to thrive
  • Cleft lip or cleft palate
  • Oral or pharyngeal dysphagia
  • Aversion to food textures
  • Difficulty weaning from a feeding tube (G-tube)
  • Food refusal (sensory or behavioral)
  • Difficulty advancing to age-appropriate food textures
  • Gagging, coughing or choking
  • Short gut syndrome or gastroschesis
  • Gastro-esophageal reflux disorders
  • Gastrostomy tube feeding management
  • Transitions from tube feeding to oral feeding
  • Children who have experienced multiple surgeries
  • Transitions from bottle to solid food

The goal at Good Shepherd’s Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program is full, oral feeds for every child. Here is how we reach that goal:

  • First, we perform diagnostic studies, which may include a feeding evaluation, a video fluoroscopic swallow study or a radiologic motility study.
  • Next, we develop a personalized therapeutic feeding program, which is designed by our team of specialists.

Good Shepherd’s Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program inpatient services include:

  • Pre-inpatient evaluation by a nurse liaison upon referral
  • Comprehensive evaluation upon admission
  • Complete diagnostic studies, as needed
  • Beckman Oral-Motor Program administered by certified staff
  • SOS Approach (sensory-based feeding)
  • Family and caregiver education
  • Feeding therapy

Feeding Therapy:

Feeding therapy in Good Shepherd's Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program is coordinated with each patient's family, referring physician and our multidisciplinary team. Feeding therapy may 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
  • Laryngeal and pharyngeal strengthening and coordination
  • Diet modifications to increase safety and improve respiratory health
  • Progress in amounts, textures and variety of foods accepted
  • Use of Vital Stimulation Therapy, as needed

Your Care Team in Good Shepherd's Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program:

Pediatrician: A board-certified pediatrician medically manages the treatment of each pediatric feeding patient and coordinates the work of other professionals on the feeding therapy team.

Pediatric Physiatrist: A board-certified pediatrician specializing in rehabilitation medicine coordinates the work of the feeding therapy team.

Pediatric Rehabilitation Nurses: Expert nurses evaluate and monitor each patient, including height and weight. They also develop care plans in collaboration with the team , and they oversee each patient's progress and education.

Occupational Therapist (OT): An OT provides positioning for feeding and evaluates for and provides equipment and adaptive devices for feeding. The OT also provides sensory needs assessment and intervention.

Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP): An SLP evaluates the functionality and safety of feeding, and makes recommendations for treatment. The SLP also teaches techniques for eating and drinking, and helps with customizing adaptive equipment.

Neuro-Psychologist: A neuro-psychologist reviews the needs of the child and family and provides services. The neuro-psychologist also recommends behavior management approaches for the treament team.

Registered Dietician: A registered dietician evaluates the nutritional needs of patients and recommends personalized diets. The registered dietician also provides nutrition therapy and education for the patient and family.

The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit offers pediatric feeding programs, including the Neonatal and Infant Feeder Program and the Transitions Feeding Program. Both programs offer comprehensive evaluation and treatment of feeding impairments. Our team works with each child to enhance his or her ability to feed functionally and safely. Our goal is to establish feeding patterns that canbe maintained by the caregiver in the home.

Location:
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit
2855 Schoenersville Rd.
Bethlehem, PA  18017

Contact:
Phone: 610-807-4200

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