Over-Stimulation Can Hinder Feeding Skills

My son had a runny nose today and was grumpy for the most part. Guess what...he wasn't that hungry! This boy LOVES to eat, so that is how I know when he is sick, because his appetite is less than usual. My two year old son is no exception from other kids...the appetite is the first to go and last to return.

Kids and babies with special needs especially tend to be less hungry when they are sick or when they aren't feeling well. "Not feeling well" could be a temporary state such as being upset, having indegestion, breathing fast, being tired, and the list goes on. I think for babies with sensory processing problems, especially those with medical needs or prematurity, it doesn't take much to make them feel "not well". It could be something as simple as gas, reflux, or over-stimulation. The following link includes signs of over-stimulation that a baby may display. This is important to know, because until a baby is calmer, he probably will not have a good sucking pattern, especially if respiratory problems exist.

Alertness & Crying

Also included in this link are the arousal levels of a baby. Studies show that babies are more coordinated with their sucking patterns when in a quiet alert state or even a bit drowsy, but not as well in the other arousal states (deep sleep, light sleep, active alert).

Do colicky babies have sensory processing problems? | Family Anatomy

"Colic" is just a description of a babies behavior...lots of crying for a certain amount of time. This term is not a clinical diagnosis. So often I see that babies with reflux or other digestive problems get labeled as colicky until they get treatment (e.g. formula change, medication, positioning, etc). But sometimes, especially with the babies born extrememly prematurely, there is still a fussiness about the baby including a poor ability to calm down once upset. Typically, we expect a baby to become organized when an adult attempts to calm them such as picking them up and/or rocking them, feeding them, repositioning, etc. The following link suggests that many babies with colic later become diagnosed with sensory processing problems. I tend to agree. I see this pattern often since I work with children under the ages of 3 years old.


Do colicky babies have sensory processing problems? | Family Anatomy

My personal experience with my son's fussiness was resolved with multiple reflux medications as well as eliminating from my diet the foods he was found to be allergic to that he was consuming through my breastmilk. So, by no means do I think every child with fussy behavior will one day have sensory processing problems. Yet, I do think fussiness that can't be explained by other things may lead to a later diagnosis of SPD. For more information on sensory processing in infants, visit:

http://www.sense-ablebaby.com

This link provides strategies on calming a baby. It also gives descriptions of why a baby could be crying which better helps a parent to read the infant's signals allowing the parent to have more accurate attempts in calming the baby. Sometimes for a baby who over-responds to sensory input it might be taking away toys, whereas sometimes our instinct is to shake a rattle to give the baby a distraction. But this can make it worse, which in turn causes the baby to become more upset.

Sense-Able Baby Website

Home Page

Great resource on sensory processing problems in infants. Also provides ideas on calming babies, understanding why they are crying, and body signals they give off to let you know when they are hungry, sleepy, or ready to play. Great links page on a variety of resources for babies who are typically developing and special needs.