20mth old still has strong gag reflex - worried

[Popskipiekin]

Our DS (20 months) has always been bit of a sicky baby (lots of reflux as newborn) and has choked on food from when first put onto solids (mix of purees and finger foods from 6 months). We expected it when he was that young but it's still going strong now.

He eats whatever we eat now - but I chop it very small as otherwise he chokes and vomits up whatever is in his tummy (sorry tmi). Hard food like apples and even crusts on bread is a total no-no. Sometimes even "safe" foods set him off.

Meals out/feeding on the move is a nightmare and stressful - I don't think we've ever been to a restaurant/on a train/plane where he hasn't covered himself and us in sick. I always have a bag and muslin ready but even still!

To avoid this, I do 'baby' him when we are out and give him ella purees and things I know he won't sick up. We met up with a child his age who scoffed down a plate of big pasta shapes no problem - I was so envious/admiring and worried I am delaying DS's development by not letting him eat stuff like that and just letting him get on with it.

Has anyone experienced this? Should I worry something is wrong with him?

FWIW being sick never bothers him, doesn't seem to put him off eating and he's a very happy child at a healthy weight.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions!

Good to see MN really coming into its own here with the wealth of advice and support. Maybe should have had more drama in the title 'Still so furious, can't believe it!', or an embarrassing anecdote involving bodily functions. Better yet, post it in AIBU, I'm confident it would get a lot of input there.

DS was like this when little. I can't count the times he's thrown up in public or into my desperate, cupped hands in restaurants! I also remember a period of around 6 months when his final act before sleep every evening was to imperiously throw up his final feed everywhere...

Doc didn't seem worried so we just lived with it and the good news is that he has almost grown out of it.

He's nearly 6 now and much better: still throws up very occasionally, often if he takes too big a bite of apple or something. He's always totally fine afterwards and is a fit, healthy boy. It has taken a little educating for his school, though, that when he's sick it doesn't mean a virus preventing him from going in for 48 hours!

No need to worry I don't think, but having said that there's no harm telling the GP the next time you're in if you are worried. But my money is on him growing out of it in time.

Thanks peas - at the sick catching, the things we do as parents!
Great to hear your DS is much better although a bit of me says "omg he's 6, that's 4 more years of this!!!" but good to know there's light at the end of the tunnel.
And yy on the educating schools front - we get a lot of calls from nursery saying he's vomited and can we pick him up? I always ask if he was eating at the time.

To be fair it hasn't been as bad as it was in the early days for quite a while! I think it was a fairly bad 8-10 months and then things settled down to much more manageable levels, tailing off more gradually from there! So it shouldn't be 6 years of awfulness, sorry for worrying you! Good luck!

DD was like that, remember well the days of running out of bedlinen (her cot and my bed) on a daily basis ...
She's 5 now and very healthy, but will still be sick more often than other kids (I feel), esp if she has been lazy and not chewing something she loves properly (ie hot dogs or cold meats). She'll also be sick from fever or colds more easily than her sibling. However I think she's only been sick in nursery and school one in several years, and that was due to a tummy bug going round. Best of luck and try not to worry!

My ds, now 11, was just like this. It improved dramatically at about 4/5 but even now he still struggles if he hasn't chewed well enough or if he doesn't like a particular texture. He can't swallow even the tiniest of tablets so still has liquid medicines. However, as he is older it's easier for him to control what he eats and he avoids things which he knows will be an issue. It will get better and easier to manage but you have my sympathies, I remember it all too well.

Thank you for more lovely and reassuring replies. It's good to know it probably isn't a problem, long-term, and sounds like once he's out of the toddler years it will get a lot better. We will try to encourage proper chewing! I will live for the day when I'm not constantly on edge when he's eating (or is coughing from a slight cold), waiting for the next spew