Infant Feeding Disorders Program
Helping Infants Reach Milestones Faster — So They Go Home Sooner
The Eating Challenge
Learn About Dr. Jadcherla's Role: A Personal Chef for High-Risk Infants
Infant Feeding Disorders Program
The Infant Feeding Disorders Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is
dedicated to improving the quality of life for infants through the
development of personalized, feeding management strategies based on
clinical and transitional research. Our advanced care optimizes the
outcomes for infants with feeding disorders, allowing them to go home
sooner, while lowering readmission rates.
Oral feeding is often difficult for babies hospitalized in neonatal
intensive care units (NICUs) and current techniques used to evaluate
neonatal feeding disorders are largely subjective. In response to this
growing difficulty, our physician-scientists are using innovative
approaches to find and treat the cause of feeding difficulty in developing
infants. Our program is the only one of its kind, testing the sensory-motor
aspects of reflexes in premature infants in activity or sleep, and in
health or in disease. The crib-side research efforts lead us to define
newer clinical and translational strategies in these vulnerable infants.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Neonatology.
Program Overview
Our team approach is comprehensive and family centered.
Our program cares for babies between newborn and 6 months of age that are presently inpatients, or have recently been released from other NICUs and demonstrate the following conditions:
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Born prematurely
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Acid reflux (GERD)
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Suspected gastrointestinal motility problems
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Swallowing problems
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Perinatal neurological illness
Based on an initial inpatient feeding consultation, a baby can become part of Nationwide Children’s feeding disorders study, to diagnose his or her feeding problems. Results of this study determine the next steps, which may include:
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Feeding consultation
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Pharyngoesophageal motility
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Esophageal motility
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Esophageal pH and impedance
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Evaluation and management of swallowing problems
The program coordinates experts from various divisions of the hospital, including:
Our Approach
We help infants reach milestones faster. So they go home sooner.
For every baby diagnosed with a feeding disorder, the ultimate goal is full oral feeds. The first step toward that goal is a multi-modal diagnostic study, with a feeding evaluation and radiologic and motility studies. The second step is the development of a rational, therapeutic strategy, with help from a team of specialists–an occupational therapist, nutritionist, neonatologist, nurse and patient care assistant–working together with the family.
Our experts work to prevent, predict, diagnose and treat feeding-related disorders for high-risk infants admitted to the NICU. Most importantly, the program strives to prevent future developmental issues, allowing premature babies to “catch up” faster.
We designed our new Feeding Enhancement Program to streamline the feeding process for premature babies and help them learn to feed sooner and with fewer complications. Weekly “feeding rounds” in our main campus NICUs incorporate parents, as our team evaluates each baby’s feeding capabilities, closely follows milestones, identifies risk factors that may delay feeding skills, and addresses any anxieties about feeding the baby.
Our Team
Our team approach is comprehensive and family centered. Based on your baby's individual feeding-related disorder, the program may also coordinate expert care from cardiology, clinical nutrition and lactation, occupational and physical therapy, gastroenterology, sleep medicine, and radiology.
Director
Sudarshan R. Jadcherla, MD
Nursing Team
Erika Osborn, NNP – Clinical Leader
Patty Luzader, RN – Clinical Research Coordinator
Kailyn Marcano, MSN, RN - Clinical Research Coordinator
Toni Plumb, RN - Clinical Research Coordinator
Research Team
Alexis Alexander – Research Assistant
Enas Alshaikh, PhD – Biostatistician
Roseanna Helmick – Senior Research Associate
Minna Njeh – Research Assistant
Zakia Sultana – Research Associate
Resources for Providers
To make a referral, call the Physician Direct Connect Line toll free at (877) 355-0221, for physician consults and to coordinate a patient transport, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
