Welcome to pediatricfeedingnews.com!
This blog is dedicated to providing the most up to date and current information related to pediatric feeding and swallowing problems. My name is Krisi Brackett PhD, SLP-CCC, C/NDT and I am a speech pathologist who has specialized in pediatric feeding and swallowing issues for over 30 years.
My Experience:
Clinician: I work at UNC Children’s Hospital and I am a founding member of our interdisciplinary feeding team (UNC Feeding Team). Our philosophy is based on a medical, nutritional, and therapeutic approach and I will post about our experiences in using this type of treatment with our feeding kids. I feel so lucky to work on a feeding team with physicians, nurse practitioners, and dietitians. However, I have treated children through early intervention and privately in their homes so I know how beneficial in home therapy can be. I also see children with oral-pharyngeal dysphagia with a pulmonologist in our pediatric swallowing clinic. In addition to working in feeding and swallowing clinics, I provide feeding therapy and instrumental swallowing studies (MBSS, FEES).
Adjunct Professor/Teaching: I am an adjunct professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, and Yeshiva University where I teach graduate level classes on pediatric feeding and swallowing. I also provide workshops and webinars for professionals. I developed the CAN-EAT Approach workshop and teach about using a medical, nutritional, and therapeutic approach to working with children with feeding disorders. See my teaching schedule here.
Research/Writing: I am involved in feeding research. I have co-written 2 chapters on feeding topics for text books; one on a wholistic approach to feeding and the other on nutritional issues. I also write and manage this free blog which started as a paper newsletter in July 1999. The original paper versions are on their own page on the blog.
My experience includes:
- Providing evaluation, treatment, and instrumental swallowing studies (MBSS and FEES) for over 30 years. I have worked in hospitals, early intervention, and private practice.
- Founding member of the UNC Feeding Team and our Pediatric Swallowing Team
- Participation on several ASHA committees regarding pediatric feeding issues including SIG 13.
- Participation with current feeding research.
- Teaching as an adjunct instructor for a graduate level pediatric feeding and dysphagia class at UNC- Chapel Hill, Yeshiva University, and UNC-Greensboro.
- Developed the CAN-EAT Approach© (using a medical/motor/therapeutic approach and SIPS© (swallowing in pediatrics).
- Supervising master’s level student clinicians and providing specialty training for professionals
- Pediatric NDT certified.
- Co-authored first chapter in Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment, 2013, Therapro &
- Co-authored nutrition chapter in 3rd edition of The Source for Pediatric Dysphagia, Pro-Ed (anticipated publication Fall 2023).
- Write and manages pediatricfeedingnews.com blog since 1999 (started as paper newsletter).
- Member of the Feeding Flock Research group (feedingflockteam.org).
- Provides consultation and coaching to professionals and caregivers.
Pediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) are defined as impaired oral intake that is not age appropriate, and is associated with one or more of four domains including medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and psychosocial dysfunction (Goday et al., 2019). Research tells us that PFD’s are common and increasing. Emerging evidence suggests that the annual prevalence of PFD in US children is between 1 and 37 in children under 5 years of age and 1 in 5 in children under 5 with chronic diseases (Kovacic et al., 2021).
These problems are complicated, often multifactorial, and can be difficult to treat involving many different professionals. We know there isn’t just one way to treat a child with a feeding problem. I hope this blog provides a hub of information from a variety of disciplines to help us with continued learning about this fascinating specialty area. Fashioned after my newsletter, we will feature general information, interviews, guest posts, research reviews, treatment ideas, case studies, product recommendations, book reviews, and workshop/training information.
Thank you for stopping by! Krisi