Peak Living - Winter 2012 - (Page 8)

Therapist Meg Wolter and Jalyssa’s mother, Angeline Moore, encourage the infant as she works to build her overall strength. occupational therapist who has been helping Jalyssa. The condition can be dangerous. Children can aspirate, meaning that food can get in their lungs. During a six-week stay in Memorial’s neonatal intensive care unit, doctors placed a “G-tube” into Jalyssa’s stomach, and she has been fed through that tube ever since. Making Progress Last summer, Jalyssa began weekly visits to Memorial’s pediatric rehabilitation clinic—the largest in southern Colorado. The pediatric rehabilitation program offers a variety of approaches to address feeding difficulties, including a feeding clinic, modified barium swallow studies for a view inside the functioning of a child’s gastrointestinal system, and both individual and group feeding therapy. Traditional oral-motor and sensory-based feeding approaches are also used. During weekly visits, Wolter and Moore work on helping Jalyssa eat by introducing her to developmentally appropriate foods. “The goal is to have her eat through her mouth,” Wolter said. “We have to thicken her formula to the consistency of honey, so it is heavier. When she gets it, she has more time to recognize, ‘Oh, here it is; now I can swallow.’ When it is thinner, she can aspirate. It goes into her lungs because she can’t swallow fast enough.” During therapy sessions, Wolter dabs a nipple from a bottle into cereal, and Jalyssa sucks it off. She watches the movement of Jalyssa’s tongue—and she is pleased with what she sees. “We’re giving her a chance to practice with tastes of thickened formula,” Wolter said. After four sessions, Jalyssa has gained weight—a pound in only a month. Wolter also works to build Jalyssa’s overall strength. She places Jalyssa on her tummy on an exercise ball, so that Jalyssa may place her forearms on the ball and lift her chest and head up. “A baby like this, born early, has decreased strength and often can develop abnormal movement patterns,” Wolter said. “But Jalyssa, although she has lower muscle tone, does a good job of reaching away from her body for a toy, as well as bringing a toy to her mouth with both hands for oral exploration.” At home, Moore works with Jalyssa to further help strengthen her body. “As she matures, we hope that her swallow will also mature,” Wolter said. “The best thing now is that she’s gaining weight. Some babies don’t gain weight and they won’t tolerate feeding by G-tube. Jalyssa is progressing with feeding, and she is strong in many other ways. She is social, she’s alert, and she’s motivated to interact with her world.” Moore said that when she comes home at night, Jalyssa is all smiles. “She’s my little bundle of peanuts,” Moore said. 8 | WINTER 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Peak Living - Winter 2012

Peak Living - Winter 2012
Contents
HealthBeat
Q & A
Savoring Sucess
Trauma Training
One Devoted Donor
Focus on Food
Community Calendar

Peak Living - Winter 2012