5.5 yr old DD hardly eating after choking - anyone had this? Need help...

[loveverona]

I posted this in the Behaviour topic and only had one (very helpful) response, so I'm hoping someone else out there has been through this and can offer some comfort/words of wisdom as I'm getting really worried.

My 5 and a half yr DD has always been a terrific eater - loves veg, fish, no problems at all. A week ago she had a scare when a piece of orange slid to the back of her throat and for a second or two wouldn't budge. She coughed and it came up, but it really frightened her. Since then she has stopped eating properly saying she thinks she's going to choke or be sick. She won't eat anything that isn't soft, so any hard-ish veg is out like brocolli, etc. She'll eat mashed potato and some sandwiches, but she also seems to have lost her appetite, although complains she's hungry.

I spoke to a health visitor who said to play it very low-key, carry on as normal and practically ignore it and if, after 8 weeks, there's no improvement, go back to them.

Has this ever happened to your child/ren? Did they come out of it by themselves? Is 8 weeks too long? Did you get help and if so what?

Sorry this is long, but I'm so upset by all of this. It's heartbreaking to see her anxious with every mouthful and not enjoying her food as she did before. I'm worried too that this way of eating, or not, may become habit if it's not sorted soon.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

x

my charge choked on a pice of orange too

he has never chosen an orange since (they choose a pice of fruit twice a day) but if having a picnic etc will eat a segment or 2 if i out it on his plate

i agree that low key, carry on as normal is the way to go, and hse proably will snap jerslef out of it.

maybe cut her food up really small? and you can gradually stop cutting it so small

Yes, I've been trying that a bit more. The great news is tonight she ate a FULL MEAL!! Smashed pots, fish fingers and peas. I'm so over the moon, I can't tell you. Made a huuuuuuge fuss of her and she's very proud of herself! I'm this won't be an abrupt end to things, but at least it's real progress which I was wondering if we'd ever see again.

Thanks for your support.
x

I agree low key is the way to go and it isn't uncommon for children who have had a choking incident or similar to be freaked out by food for a while.

Don't let her pick up on any of your stress or worry. IF you let her see that food is not something to be anxious or stressed about byall being relaxed around her and by not putting pressure on her to eat or anything it shouldn't become a long time problem.

My dd is 4.5 and we recently had something similar when she was sick after eating her lunch at school. Even after she recovered from the bug she had we couldn't get her to eat as she was scared of being sick again. I tried really hard to keep it low key but went over the top with praise when she did eat something. I let her choose where she wanted to go to lunch (pizza hut - yuk!) which seemed to work when I said she could only have an ice cream factory (even more yuk) if she ate some pizza. Even though we got over not eating at home within a couple of days it took her a good six weeks to eat anything at school. Her teacher and I tried bribery, but she only snapped out of it when everyone stopped making a fuss and just left her to it.
She still won't have a school dinner though...

Yes this has happened to me, with dd1 who was a fussy enough eater before, we COMPLETELY ignored and she was ok after a few weeks.

Thanks everyone, this has been very reassuring and comforting to know they came out of it in the end. I know it's pure worry with her and association with being sick - rather than choking this is always her fear. Of course the choking is a similar odd feeling in the throat so she's just built it up in her mind.

Not a great deal of lunch again at school today, but she's having a piece of cake now and, whilst eating it cautiously, is doing fine. I'm going to try harder to not get stressed in front of her which I've found difficult and hope it goes as quickly as it appeared.

Thanks again everyone. x

I choked on a piece of bacon when I was about 5-7 years old. I didn't eat bacon for 10 years after that! It was a long stringy piece.

If she encounters a food that she is afraid of, I would say to her that you'll both cut it up into really small pieces and eat it together and that it will be OK.