Re: I need help with behavioral reflux and with biting

[Guest guest]

Hi Colette. My son went through a phase of several months during which he

had severe reflux/regurgitation. He was having well over 100 episodes a

day, although I didn't realize the frequency of it because the signs were so

subtle. He had an endoscopy to rule out a physiological cause. The GI

suggested perhaps it was rumination syndrome. It's a pretty rare disorder.

Here's a good article about it:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/111/1/158

When I researched rumination syndrome, I read about several potential causes

of rumination. Some were medical (abdominal pressure) and some were

behavioral. The behavioral causes I read about were self-stimulatory

(liking the sensation of vomitting or liking the taste of regurgitated food)

or attention seeking. I really didn't think it was attention seeking, in my

son's case, because most of the time we didn't even know he had regurgitated

food (he was reswallowing). I suspected he was doing it as a way to relieve

some discomfort, and when we discontinued his Straterra, the symptoms

cleared up completely within 3 days.

I'm not sure how you block a behavior that occurs " internally " , but in the

articles I read, there were some antecedents that were described:

intentional gagging with fingers, head/neck turning, and changes in posture.

I never observed those antecedents in my own son, but perhaps if you

recognize some signs before-hand, that would be your cue to

distract/redirect/or reinforce some other behavior.

Best of luck,

Geraldine

[ ] I need help with behavioral reflux and with biting

> My daughter, who has autism,is 5 years old and has established a habit

> of regurgitating most of what she eats. Thorough medical tests have

> found no physiological cause for the reflux and we have concluded that

> it is mostly behavioral. Has anyone dealt with this before? How do

> you get a kid to keep her food in her stomach? She is seriously

> underweight and it is becoming a real health concern. Also, on and off

> for some time now she has exhibited a strong urge to bite. She bites

> herself, which I am aware is common with autism, but she'll also bite

> the paint/finish off the woodwork in the house. I don't think it is

> behavioral (rather, I can tell when the biting is behavioral) At times

> the urge seems to come on all of a sudden when she is peacefully

> rocking in her chair or otherwise calm. Her whole body will constrict

> as if she is agitated by something inside. I am wondering if there is

> any evidence to suggest a physical condition that causes the urge.

> Thanks for any input you can provide!

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