UAE — The Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children, part of the M42 group, has opened a comprehensive feeding clinic to help children with a variety of feeding problems including extreme pickiness.
Globally, children often go through a picky eating phase between the ages of two and five, but this behavior can manifest earlier.
These unusual eating patterns, including picky eating and difficulty swallowing safely, can create significant struggles for children and their parents.
The newly launched feeding clinic at Danat Al Emarat Hospital goes beyond merely teaching children how to eat properly.
Its primary objective is to help children and their families establish effective feeding behaviors and healthy eating patterns.
By working closely with families, the hospital’s specialists assess each child’s unique feeding difficulties and develop personalized, strategic therapies to address their specific needs.
The clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts, including pediatric gastroenterologists, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, and dietitians.
These specialists collaborate to create individualized treatment plans aimed at resolving mealtime struggles.
Their holistic approach includes comprehensive evaluations for children facing issues such as extreme pickiness, chewing and swallowing difficulties, sensory sensitivities, tube-feeding dependence, and discomfort or pain while eating.
Furthermore, the clinic’s focus extends to children with underlying medical conditions such as chromosomal abnormalities, congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, and gastrointestinal issues like reflux and eosinophilic esophagitis.
By addressing both the medical and psychological aspects of feeding challenges, the clinic aims to streamline the treatment journey and improve outcomes for young patients and their families.
Speaking at the launch event, Dr Ala Shaikh Khalil, a Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, explained that many of their patients struggle with feeding difficulties, which can make mealtimes frustrating and stressful, prompting the creation of a comprehensive feeding clinic.
She added that feeding issues in children range from difficulties handling certain textures to more severe complications, such as food entering the lungs instead of the gastrointestinal tract, which can necessitate tube feeding.
Dr Khalil emphasized that these complicated feeding challenges necessitate a multidisciplinary approach, and that by using a patient-centered strategy, the clinic works closely with families throughout the treatment process, ensuring that children receive the best possible outcomes.
Dr Khalil further highlighted the importance of having all necessary support available at the hospital, allowing families to access a full continuum of care with unified recommendations from a single team.
In addition, Dr. Summia Zaher, CEO and Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, expressed her enthusiasm for the new clinic, highlighting the hospital’s commitment to improving the lives of the families in their care.
Dr. Zaher explained that the clinic recognizes the importance of nurturing not only the physical health of children but also their emotional and psychological well-being.
She concluded by stating that the clinic’s ultimate goal is to make feeding safe and enjoyable for both children and their families.
Dr. Khalil also emphasised the importance of personalised treatment plans, stating that the clinic evaluates each child to rule out undiagnosed medical conditions, optimises nutrition, ensures safe feeding practices, and provides critical psychological support to both the child and their family.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE
