Frågor och svar från Notube

Jag tog sats och skrev till slut om julen till Notube och passade också på att ställa lite mer övergripande frågor. Den som är intresserad och orkar kan läsa både frågor och svar nedan. Jag har markerat och kommenterat några saker som jag tycker är intressanta eller på ett eller annat sätt.

Imorgon är det för övrigt dags för läkarbesök igen.

1. Do you meet lots of children drinking but not eating?
Since we are in Graz probably the European centre for exactly these problems, we see this quite frequently and the oldest only drinking child we saw was 9 years old (!), many only are referred and come before starting school, so most of them are much older than Benjamin. Most come between 4-7 years old, nearly only boys.

2.Is your experience that bottle weaning usually is as successful as tube weaning?
*Basically yes, it depends on his personality and your will power but he might need some additional therapeutic support.

3. What do you think will be the consequences for Benjamin's development if he continues only drinking.
*Well, on a nutritional level, he must drink enough which means about 1000cals/day. Not sure if he is there yet. (Nej, det är han inte!) Then his growth will be fine and follow his genetic determination. On a psychosocial and speech development level, it would be recommendable to get him specific treatment asap.

4. Do you still think you can help us (or does it seem like Benjamin belong to the 4 % of children not beeing succesfull with help from you)?
*I think we can, the question is if NETcoaching alone can support you as parents enough to make the necessary changes or if Benjamin needs some specific therapeutic support. When the tube came out in september as you wrote us he was not well enough prepared orally, so he only was able to get rid of the tube successfully but not catch up in age appropriate eating skills.He kind of got stuck in the middle of the transition with drinking. This shows that there is absolutely no medical or neurological problem but "only" a behavioral and developmental one.

5. What would you recommend us to do now?
*I would "fill him up now" and see if he can gain weight by only drinking and drinking more! At the same time I would introduce crackers, cookies, fruits, sausages, anything he will hold himself as you describe at the xmas dinner! Maybe this can be supported by local speechtherapy and occupational therapy to increase his manual-oral curiosity and courage. (Jo, vi fick remiss till logoped i somras och har, trots upprepade påstötningar, inte hört ett ljud från nån logoped.)

Then (maybe in 2 months from now) I would suggest a second consequent "fade out"/wean of bottle drinking, when he is in a good weight situation. If this does not work again, you will probably need to come for a 3 week intensive therapy course here in Graz, either IN- or Outpatient, which could be done in april or may. (Till en liten nätt kostnad på ungefär 150 000 (behandling + boende) - tror inte det;)