Type 2 thickened fluids?

[nextstopChristmas]

Does anyone have experience of having to only give type 2 thickened fluids or custard thick fluids for all drinks/liquids?

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I know this is an older thread but I was looking here for any threads with children on ng feeds, or swallow problems etc....

My DC is 18 months and has been on custard thick fluids for 6 months due to slt not being happy with swallowing and recurrent chest infections. Videofluroscopy showed silent aspiration during the video on thin fluid then syrup thick fluid, so onto custard thick we went....via a bottle for milk.

christmas week my DC aspirated even on the custard thick, and so into hospital we went again, and then after 6 months of umming and ahhing, the SLT and drs finally decided to stop feeding at risk with the custard thick fluids and put the ng tube down. DC is now on ng fluids only, and bite-melt foods - eg wotsits, quavers, pink wafer biscuits, mashed potato, yoghurt.

its very lonely here.....4 hourly feeds per day - so time consuming....

water can be drunk thin as it does not damage the lungs - do not add anything to the bath - eg bubbles or shampoo and you will be fine @nextstopChristmas.
SLT always advise to allow water to be drunk without carobel, the carobel is more damaging to the lungs than the water.

Sorry to hear about the feeding tube. Are you in hospital or at home?

Have they given you any indication of why your child is aspirating? Is there any other condition you are already aware of?

We saw the consultant who said in most cases as people had suggested on this thread it is usually neurological in nature.

We are back to consultant in January as Carobel is not working, but now on long term antibiotics so only had one chest infection this month.

Went into hospital with the pneumonia, had ngtube placed, stayed till ok, came home xmas eve!
All going ok and we feel better feeding this way than feeding at risk on the thick fluids. Dc really struggled with swallow and is fairly food avoident now as a result.
The problem is neurological - very late trigger to swallow, fluid down the windpipe before the swallow occurs, no visable signs or facial expresions...the VF was stopped at 3 seconds as DC aspirated silently at that point. Chest infection followed.
Now on long term antibiotics like your LO.
It is hoped the swallow trigger will develop but no real info at this point if it will

Quick update:
We are trying a new thickener as she rejected and we could not get her to take carobel. She has also been put on a preventative antibiotics and as she is NT at the moment, they are not referring to neurology so they are exploring a suspected problem such as a cleft in the flap (not the technical term! But I am sure you understand).

So currently diagnosis of isolated unsafe swallow causing aspiration & repeated chest problems with damage on x-Ray that we need to stop getting worse. Long journey ahead, but feel like getting somewhere!

Boston - how is your LO?