Gagging Kid-please Help!

My oldest son, 12, has had four open-heart surgeries. He is currently stable, but will require at least one more open-heart surgery.

Has your daughter been evaluated for a submucous cleft palate? The most common reason that a child is evaluated for a submucous cleft palate is abnormal nasal speech. Other symptoms may include persistent middle ear disease and feeding/swallowing difficulties. A submucous cleft palate may be identified by the presence of a bifid uvula; a very thin translucent strip of lining (mucosa) in the middle of the roof of the mouth; and, a notch at the back edge of the hard palate that can be felt by the fingertip. However, in some children, the palate may appear normal on physical examination despite the fact that the child is experiencing speech problems, persistent ear disease, and/or swallowing difficulties. In such cases, special tests are necessary to fully assess the palate. These tests include x-ray examination and nasopharyngoscopy (looking at the palate through a very small tube that is placed in the nose). These evaluations are most commonly done by members of a cleft palate team. If you suspect your child has a submucous cleft, you should contact a local cleft palate team.

Also, has a VFSS been performed on your daughter? In a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), the patient swallows a variety of liquids and foods mixed with barium, as a radiologist takes video X-rays of the mouth and throat. These images show how food passes from the mouth through the throat and into the esophagus. They may also reveal aspiration -- foreign matter entering the lungs -- if barium enters the windpipe. Aspiration puts patients at risk for lung infections.

A VFSS is performed with a radiologist and a speech-language pathologist. During the test, a speech pathologist may ask patients to alter their head position, such as tucking the chin, or to try various techniques, such as holding their breath, to improve swallowing.

The test is given to: Patients with a history of upper respiratory infections, unexplained fevers or aspiration pneumonia; Patients who report a lumplike sensation in their throat or pain upon swallowing; Patients who complain of difficulty swallowing liquid, food or medications; Stroke patients who experience difficulty swallowing, throat clearing or choking during meals; Patients with a history of swallowing difficulty who have Parkinson's Disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease; Patients with a tracheotomy who might be able to tolerate oral feedings or dietary changes; Patients who receive nutrition with a gastronomy tube or nasogastric tube to see if they can tolerate oral feedings.

A VFSS takes about 10 minutes to complete. It is not painful and no preparation is necessary.

An exceptional Otolaryngologist (ENT) (my son sees him) in the Mpls/St. Paul area is Dr. James Sidman, Children's Hospital-Mpls, ###-###-####.

Good luck!

My son did this when we was almost 2. We ended up having his tonsils out as they were so huge that he couldn't pass food through causing him to gag. Have you looked at the size of her tonsils?

I would also have an ENT( ear nose and throat) look at her, it is possible that there may be another small defect in the swallowing process. My daughter was a big gagger and she had huge tonsils and adenoids found on a swallow study, she also snored alot and had sleep apnea. When we got the tonsils and adenoids out , no more gagging!

I have a son that was born with a heart defect and he is on reflux meds. He is a big gagger at times too. He just turned three in Jan. and has undergone two of the three open heart surgeries he needs to help his heart function better. Some of the other mom's have very good advice. It could be an age thing, it could be her tonsils, or it could be the reflux. We have undergone a swallow study with our son and he does have mild reflux. His tonsils are a little large but not too bad that they needed to be removed.
I would start with your pediatrician to see what they recommend for the next step and who to see. Good luck with everything. I know how stressful it is to raise a child with a special heart!!

D. ~ mom of 4

Both my kids and my nephew are gaggers--mostly it happens when they put too much in their mouths or try to eat too fast, but my older son has been known to gag because he doesn't like something, or he just is sick of eating it--I even recall being youngish and gagging because I really, really didn't like pulpy OJ and my parents were making me drink it. My older son outgrew it mostly, and my younger son is just getting into it. My nephew is 3 this week, so I'm thinking it's an age thing, somewhat. I'd say it's perfectly normal. We just got to the point where we got very frustrated with him--and he had to learn to eat better. We kinda treated it as a matter of bad table manners (y'know, throwing up at the table and all...).

My daughter is also a gager and has been since I can remember. For her it is a texture issue. At about 18 months she even gaged walking on sand sometimes. She would not eat cottage cheese, potatoes, yogurt, ect... It has gotten a lot better since she has gotten older, (6)and it helps if she is distracted, (not thinking about her what she is eating. If she thinks she doesn't like it then she'll start the gaging thing again.) Hope that helps!