7 Year Old Son Not Eating/spitting Out His Food

I saw a really scary show on A&E (I think). The show was called Intervention. Apparently a girl started not swallowing food at a very young age. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong and the girl lost so much weight she had to be fed intravenously. Found out through counseling that a very good friend of the family was molesting her and making her swallow. It really messed this kid (now a grown woman) up. I'm sure this is a VERY extreme scenerio but I wanted to give you the info.

I have a 7 year old too who is very smart and I know that if this was happening at our house I would have to be careful about giving it too much attention. I think my son would really thrive on the extra attention that this brought to him and would try to use it to his advantage.

Good luck to you.

Hi J.! My son will be 7 in Oct. I think you answered your own question, "When he's hungry, I know he'll eat". There you have it! I think you should just give it some time and see if he gets past it or not. As long as its not something immediately wrong (and the Doc already checked him for that), and you would know, then I would see what happens next. Good luck to you!

I am a mother of a 27 yr. old daughter and 23 yr. old son. I have been teacher grade school, mostly 2nd and 3rd graders, since 1973. I am not a psychologist, but it seems that, since his problem started with the ice cube, this may be a behavioral issue, best addressed by simple behavioral methodology, perhaps by a few visits to a therapist. I believe it is worth a try. Again, I don't know, but it seems to have instigated a fear in him of having the experience repeated and he may have now transferred that experience to any and almost all foods. Good luck! Regards, R.

I think you are right to listen to your inner voice on this. He probably doesn't have a serious problem but anytime things dont't feel right...well,you know. You didn't say how old your other child is. If his sibling is younger or perhaps has some needs that require your 7 1/2 year old to be " a big boy" he may resent it and find that the attention and concern over the swallowing incident may make him want to explore the way others act toward him now. I know you will stay on top of this medically. My kids are now 22 and 20- years old!. One thing I did learn was to not make a big deal out of things- you know your kids and while this a probably a part of growing up you will know when to call the doctor.
Maybe he can draw you a picture of how his throat feels during those off times- then he can tell the doctor himslf what's up.
Good Luck

I agree with some of your thoughts, that it may be related to the ice cube. Have you tried asking him specifically about the situation? Maybe something like, mmm, I've noticed that ever since that ice cube went down your throat wrong, you've seemed scared to eat. Is this true? this could open some communication about it.
if it dead ends, I'd probably let him know that here's the food that we're eating tonight, you have a choice to eat it or spit it out, which one would you like to do? he'll probably take eat it...in which i'd tell him he made a good choice. if he chooses spitting, i'd let him know that it is a choice and that he could do it sitting somewhere away from everyone else. If he does end up spitting his food out, i would let him know that he can throw the food in the trash, wash his plate and be finished at the table.
it's a challenging situation, and i agree that when he's hungry enough he'll eat, and when he does, i would make sure he has healthy options...

Sounds like he's scared he's going to choke again. When he choked on the ice cube, did it really scare him? Did you have to do the Heimlich or anything like that? Was he really upset afterwards? Did he get scolded for not chewing up the ice? Think back on that incident, and you might get a hint about what's going on now. Kids are really impressionable, and things that are upsetting/traumatic tend to stick with them at this age (I have a 7 year old also, and I've noticed this more and more).

Talk to him about it, talk him through the choking accident and ask him how it made him feel. Ask him if he still feels that way when he's eating now. Ask him if he feels like he's going to choke again. The more you talk to him and reassure him, I think he'll work through this pretty easily. But be sure to let him know that people definitely choke, and it can be really bad, but most of the time when it happens, people are just fine. Sounds like he's just in need of some reassurance and comfort more than anything, especially if he's been checked by a doctor.

Hi J.,
My son is 6 and he has gone through stages where he just wont eat. During those times I keep pediasure(vanilla and chocolate) and keep them in the fridge so their nice and cold. I tell him they are shakes. He really likes them. This has helped hold him over for a few days so I don't freak out that he's not getting nourished. Eventually he always comes back with a ferocious appetite. Good Luck!

I think if your son is healthy and this is just a fairly new thing I would offer him food and if he eats he eats if he doesn't he doesn't. at 7 he is old enough to know if he doesn't eat he can starve. I believe he is old enough to work over this with himself. I believe he is just afraid that he will choke again. I would not make a big deal out of it. but understand that he is afraid. you would not want to choke either.

realize that he should not be punished for acting like this. he just went thru a trauma that in his mind he could have died. I would help him thru this without babying him. he is old enough to be affected by this but not old enough to totally understand that this will happen many times in his life and that everyone chokes over food and gets over it fast enough.

I just read 1 of your responses about if he spits things out he will be sent away from the table. granted this is not a sight anyone else wants to see but doing that you are reacting as though your son is a brat about this. please do not act as though he is being a brat about this. I would ask him not to spit it out at the table but into the garbage away from the table (move the garbage can out of view of the table if you have too)

J.,
It sounds to me like you are a wonderful, aware and very proactive mom. My son went through a similar phase where he chewed and chewed and eventually spit out his food. We saw the Doctor who said that it could be an underlying issue a wich would require medical attention but thankfully it resolved on its own. If you do need to see a GI specialist my baby girl has been under the care of Dana Ursea at Phoenix Childrens since shortly after her birth. She is a kind and wonderful dr. Do not see her P.A. Kim! Also you are right that if there is not a medical issue preventing him from swallowing he will eat when hungry enough but please be cautious that he is drinking as dehydraation especially in this weather can be deadly and occur rapidly. God Bless your family and certainly don't forget to pray for him and yourself as you try to help him!

Hi: This reminded me of my little girl who at 7, decided she wasn't going to urinate anymore because she experienced some burning after wearing a swim suit that had build in floaties. It caused the suit to ride up on her and irritated her urethra. She didn't have a bladder infection or anything else. She just equated peeing with pain after that and I had to have her catheterized in the ER twice as she had an ability to hold it for way longer than I was comfortable letting it go. It did become a power struggle. Eventually, after one successful time of using the toilet without pain, she was mostly won over. She's almost 9 now, and obviously we got through it. I'm wondering if they are more aware of their bodies at that age and aware that they can make choices concerning their bodies that scare the heck out of us parents!

B.