What are Feeding Difficulties?
Feeding difficulties refer to any issues or problems with being able to suck, chew or swallow feed.
As a broader term they may refer to any problem with eating, and wanting to eat, including pickiness around food and/or issues feeding oneself.
Understanding rare disease symptoms
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Feeding difficulties in rare diseases can stem from issues like poor coordination of the muscles involved in sucking, swallowing, and breathing. This may lead to challenges with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding in infants and may persist into childhood, making it difficult to consume solid foods.
Rare genetic or neurological disorders, such as Rett syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, or metabolic disorders like glycogen storage disease, can contribute to feeding difficulties. These conditions may cause problems such as muscle weakness, hypotonia (low muscle tone), or abnormalities in appetite regulation, all of which can hinder normal feeding behavior.
What should I do next?
In some instances, feeding difficulties may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Feeding Difficulties, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.