Megan- I know a family here in NC that was just sent home with continuous drip feed, so it is definitely still happening. I'm sure there's some kind of medical explanation for this, but it doesn't do the kids any favors regarding feeding. Imagine if you were constantly sipping on a thick milkshake all day long - and you HAD to do it. You probably wouldn't eat anything either. I'm a much bigger fan of bolus feeds, if at all possible, but sometimes the child's reflux may not allow this.
Have you guys tried an appetite stimulant with Alyssa? It sounds like she's old enough to understand the concept of feeding and has the peer pressure there as motivation, also. If the problem is that she's just not hungry, talk to your doctor about an appetite stimulant. When Carter's doctors started him on Periactin, we saw a HUGE increase in his willingness to eat, because he was finally HUNGRY!
A caution about appetite stimulant, however. They should NOT be used if the child has been diagnosed with swallowing dysfunction or severe sensory processing disorders. Appetite stimulants should only be used if the child doesn't WANT to eat or doesn't understand why he/she should. If the child actually CAN'T eat, increasing appetite is just torturing him/her. Best of luck!
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