Does your child refuse to eat many foods? When he consumes them, he only regurgitates? Does he object to sitting on his plate and overreacting to certain smells? Anything suggests that this is a whim. However, this opposition to food can also hide a physiological problem, such as an eating disorder called sensory dysorality syndrome. This disease can become a real handicap on a daily basis because each meal is feared by both the parents and the child. According to Catherine Senez, speech therapist specializing in swallowing and author of the book Rehabilitation of oral and swallowing disorders, this little-known disease affects 25% of children with normal development and between 50 and 80% of children or adults with multiple disabilities.
What is sensory dysorality?
Sensory dysorality syndrome, also known as Sensory Processing Disorder in the United States, is defined by Catherine Senez as "a genetic hyper reactivity of the organs of taste and smell". It is a disease linked to a hypersensitivity to tastes, smells and textures. Clearly, all products related to the mouth, which the child will see, feel or touch will cause an abnormal response, namely to generate a defense and rejection mechanism. This eating disorder can appear at the stage of food diversification. It can therefore affect toddlers as well as older children.
The reaction to this syndrome varies depending on the child. It can range from simple disgust for a certain type of food to complete refusal to eat, which can make it difficult, if not impossible, to take food by mouth or make one think of anorexia nervosa.
"Sensory dysorality syndrome refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and transforms them into responses. (…) Unlike people who are visually impaired or hard of hearing, people with this disorder detect sensory information. information is "mixed" in their brains and the responses are therefore inappropriate in the context in which they are found ", indicates on its website Star Institute, the leading center for treatment, research and education for children and adults with sensory processing disorders.
Sensory dysorality: what are the causes?
The exact cause of sensory dysorality syndrome has not yet been identified. preliminary studies and research suggest that this disorder is often inherited. Prenatal and birth complications have also been implicated in sensory dysorality syndrome, as well as certain environmental factors.
What are the symptoms of sensory dysorality?
The intensity of the symptoms of sensory dysorality syndrome varies depending on the child. Speech-language pathologist Catherine Senez has listed the main and secondary signs of this disorder, which are exacerbated in the morning upon waking and during febrile episodes. These manifestations can occur in the first years of life or suddenly.
- The so-called constant signs of this syndrome are:
- Poor and irregular appetite
- Slow food intake
- A selection of food temperature, tastes, textures
- Refusal to eat new foods and / or containing lumps
- Little or no chewing, even if possible
The "inconsistent" manifestations are:
- Difficulty opening your mouth during meals
- Nausea during meals
- Regurgitation and vomiting, whether or not the child is forced to eat the dish
- Foods kept in the mouth
- Nausea when brushing your teeth
- Swallowing disorders
- Hypersensitivity of the mouth and lips
- Olfactory exacerbations
Recognizing these symptoms is much more complicated in infants. Signs that should alert are insufficient and complicated or long-lasting (breast or bottle) breastfeeding, the fact that the baby is not carrying his hands or objects to his mouth and gagging when he takes her pacifier. Toddlers with sensory dysorality syndrome don't like contact, such as kisses on the face. These manifestations can intensify over time.
Sensory dysorality: how to diagnose it?
If a parent suspects a sensory dysorality syndrome in their child, they should consult a health professional who specializes in oral problems, such as a pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist, to discuss their concerns. It is important to diagnose this disease as soon as possible in order to be accompanied and to prevent this disorder from having serious consequences on the child's development (behavioral, language disorders, deficiencies, etc.).
To establish and confirm the diagnosis, the practitioner relies on nine essential points:
- A lack of oral exploration at a young age
- Difficulty eating the first food beyond 8 months
- Difficulties in introducing table foods at 12 months
- The child agrees to eat only smoothies at 16 months
- The presence of vomiting and nausea when the child comes into contact with food and refuses to eat afterwards
- The child's food directory shows less than 20 different foods and does not cover the four food groups from 18 months
- The child has no pleasure in eating, he cries or he tries to withdraw from the context of the meal or breastfeeding
- Child has dislike and avoidance of certain textures or foods
- The child does not cover his nutritional needs and loses weight
How to treat sensory dysorality?
Treatment depends on the individual needs of the child. In some cases, especially in infants, the insertion of a nasogastric tube is necessary so that they can eat. But in general, the goal of treatment is to help children get used to things they cannot tolerate. For this, it is essential that the child is followed by a speech therapist during his treatment.
The role of this specialist is to teach the child that oral nutrition is fun. For this, he will offer the child activities centered on the orofacial sphere. The objective of sensory integration is to challenge a child in a fun and playful way so that he learns to react appropriately. These activities will help the child test his mouth.
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