Is this a cause for concern and how will I tell the mum?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

One of my mindees is 9mths old and her mum and I are good friends. I just started to mind her today and through observing her I have noticed a few things that make me a bit concerned about the way she eats and drinks and what could be causing it:

I have never seen another baby eat or drink the way she does, she has to stick her tongue out over and over again in order to swallow her food and seemed to have difficulty with swallowing a rice cake I gave her and she also drinks very strangely from a sippy cup.

She drools a lot, constantly. More than average I would say.

When she was much younger she was rushed to hospital twice as her mum heard her making choking sounds and thought she stopped breathing. The hospital concluded 'reflux'.

She was initially breastfed but dropped a centile in weight in a fortnight and never seemed to be able to get enough milk even though she appeared to be latched on fine so her mum put her onto formula and she was much better.

All these things are causing me concern- does ahe have enlarged tonsils? a narrow opening in her throat? Are they related in any way? How can I raise my concerns with her mum without upsetting her? I think to her mum this is normal and the way she eats is 'cute' bt to me it says something is wrong.

I would mention you concerns to the mum and suggest that she takes her to the doctor.

I would suggest she goes to the gp to ask for a feeding/eating and drinking assessment by a speech and lanaguage therapist. She would need a doctor's referral for this and would not be able to refer herself.

Does she ever get chest infections?

How do I say it to her mum though without upsetting her? No, no chest infections.

Apart from sticking her tongue out, does she seem to struggle with an textures or types of food?

It does sound odd but rice cakes are very dry which could make them difficult to swallow. Does she do the same with other, wetter, foods?

No she seemed to hae difficulty swallowing the rice cake i gave her but that could have been the nature of the rice cake as they're pretty dry anyway.

How does she drink strangely?

I agree that the rice cake could be tricky if she took large mouthfuls and then could not control it as it was too dry.

I wouldnt say anything yet id just observe her for a while.

she may just have very poor muscle control in her tongue,this will strengthen when she starts eating different foods -to help her you could put ice cream on your finger and encourage her to lick-is she making sounds clearly?

Does she have a dummy? some children develop weird tongue habits around a soother.

How long has she usded a sippy cup? it might all be new to her.

As suggested rice cakes might be too dry for her.

Watch her closely for a while before you speak to her mum imo.

I think I'd just want you to tell me up front much as you have here.
Just "I'm a bit concerned about....." or "I think looks like she might be struggling a bit when she's eating" "It might be nothing but I wanted to mention it"
I don't know if your mindee has siblings at all, but often when you've only got one DC you accept some stuff as normal, as you have nothing to compare it to.