Hi all,
I'm reaching out looking for experiences and knowledge of others who have been or are going through something similar.
I'll try to be short:
Our boy now 10mo, has been weaning since 5mo. Started well on puree and mash banana and avo etc. he's always had some coughing and spluttering when drinking water. But manages breast milk fine. He now drinks formula ocassionally from a straw cup fine also, but still coughs with water every few sips or so.
He's very picky with food and goes up and down with weeks where he wants to eat and others where he doesn't. Now I know some bubs take longer to like or enjoy or eat substantial amounts and that's fine with me! But my concern is, that from about 6.5/7 months old (incidentally after a near choking episode on a sweet potato finger) he has started to have a dry cough when eating solids. Often after he swallows something. It is very sporadic and doesn't happen every-time or with the same foods every- time. Sometimes it's just a small cough, others it's a larger one and he coughs up some clear mucus as well.
It's not aspiration as we have rules that out with the doctor and it's nothing to do with his larynx as we have had a scope done. He did have a PTT lasered at 6weeks and then again just after the coughing began. We saw a speech pathologist yesterday who said that his tongue was tight again, and it could possibly be this. However, I have seen him poke out his tongue, tough choice the tip to his roof of mouth, and roll the tongue side to side. He also went through a phase of clicking his tongue like "cluck cluck" off the roof of his mouth. She did say that it could be an issue at the back of his throat/mouth and a video fluroscopy may help to see what's happening. As it may be something else entirely.
The doctor at the children's hospital seems to think that tongue tie is not important unless it's right to the tip and there is no movement in the tongue. He also said that he has had many children with similar symptoms who outgrow this as they grow.
I'm at a loss of what to do. I want him to eat and enjoy it and drink water well. But I am hesitant to laser the tongue again as last time he started to become aversive to drinking milk and wouldn't let me in his mouth.
Part of me thinks to wait and see as he grows. But, we have already been waiting to see and I'm worried he will turn out to be a fussy eater or reliant on milk for a long period instead of food.
I'm so tired (still don't sleep much! Or well! 8-11 month regression?? Who knows) but this is all weighing upon my head as well.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Ideas? Experience with their little ones and solids like this?
I would deeply appreciate your time in answering.
