Transitions to Chewing: Demystifying the Interactions Amongst Food, Form, and Function that Support Feeding Development

Description

This webinar contains two sections:  Section 1: presented by Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D. Section 2: presented by Reva Barewal, DDS, MS (timestamp 1:12:51) Section 3: Q&A (timestamp 2:4:50)

Presentation Summary

When infants and children experience a pediatric feeding disorder there is a major interaction between developmental pre-feeding skills, the child’s comfort with the sensory aspects of transitional foods, and the interactive role of the structures of the mouth.  The interplay among these features strongly influences the abilities and limitations that the child experiences during feeding. Speakers will discuss the sensorimotor journey, how to advance skills, mouthing, transitional foods, dissolvable solids, examine specific dissolution patterns, and further examine the vast and intricate interplay that affects children with pediatric feeding disorder.

Section 1 Outcomes

Our challenge as clinicians and researchers is to

1. Collaborate in asking appropriate clinical questions that address our current understanding of pre-feeding oral skills, type and availability of transitional foods to meet the needs of a wide variety of feeding skills and limitations, and the functional impact of deviations in oral form and structure that could influence a child’s development of mature chewing skills.
2. Formulate research questions that lead toward a greater understanding of the interactive role played by function, food and form in the transitional feeding stage and the development of mature chewing skills.
3. Conduct research that leads toward the availability of appropriate early transitional foods that combine interest, safety and nutrition as a child expands feeding skills.

Section 2 Outcomes

1) Analyze the role of texture in food acceptance. 2) Describe the indications for use of dissolvable solids and the physical properties affecting the dissolve pattern in the mouth. 3) Understand the 3 ways to assess dissolution pattern of this unique food category. Get 10% off Savorease with code FM10. 

Speaker Credentials

Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D.

Suzanne is a speech-language pathologist with New Visions near Charlottesville, Virginia. She is nationally and internationally known for her work during the past 60 years in identifying and treating young children with feeding and pre-speech disorders. Her current practice includes direct clinical services, continuing education workshops, and the development of written materials that support a deeper understanding of an integrated and responsive approach for children with PFD. She is particularly interested in the learning and teaching partnership with professionals from other disciplines who have common directions for effective research and clinical work in the areas of feeding and mealtime development. Dr. Morris is the author of the Pre-Speech Assessment Scale, a rating scale for the measurement of feeding skills in children from birth through two years, and co-author of Pre-Feeding Skills: A Comprehensive Resource for Mealtime Development, 2nd Edition, the Mealtime Participation Guide and the Homemade Blended Formula Handbook.

Reva Barewal, DDS, MS

Reva is a prosthodontist with 20 years of experience working in private practice with adults and children requiring oral reconstruction. Reva is a clinical assistant professor in the department of Pulmonology and Critical Care at Oregon Health and Science University. She serves as a member of the U.S. and Territories IDDSI expert reference group – pediatrics (USTIRG). As a research investigator examining oral behavior of transitional foods and effects on health outcomes,  as well as her training in the culinary arts, she brings a unique perspective to the social and physical impacts of texture modified diets across the lifespan from early development to adulthood. She is the founder and CEO of Savorease Therapeutic Foods, Inc., a food manufacturing company and creator of the first truly dissolvable, nutritious finger foods specifically designed to support feeding development (www.savorease.com). Her interests lie in an evidence-based approach to innovation to better connect nutritional, taste and textural needs of a child to support them on their feeding journey.