Pediatric Nutrition Center
Explore This Treatment Program
Center for Feeding & Nutrition
The Pediatric Nutrition Center of Excellence has two distinct clinical services for children with feeding difficulties and overweight and obesity.
The Center for Feeding & Nutrition offers multidisciplinary care for children with a variety of feeding difficulties. Families meet with a health-care team that includes a pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition doctor, speech-language pathologist with advanced training in feeding, dietitian, occupational therapist, feeding psychologist, and social worker. We tailor the members of the team to your child and family’s specific needs. The team meets all together with you and your child as we evaluate their feeding skills and then develop a family-centered treatment plan. We also can offer one-on-one feeding therapy on an as-needed basis.
Raising Healthy Hearts
Raising Healthy Hearts is a collaboration between Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Psychology dedicated to getting overweight children to a healthier weight. We use a multi-disciplinary approach and each child will see a clinician, dietitian and health coach. We also offer psychology support. Learn more.
Innovative Research
Our active research program focuses on preventing and treating childhood obesity in the community and improving care for patients with feeding difficulties. We also are examining early life diet and antibiotics and its effect on a child’s microbiome (the bacteria in the intestine).
About this Program
Who are we?
Center for Feeding & Nutrition consists of:
- Pediatric Gastroenterologist with specialized training in nutrition
- Speech-Language Pathologists with advanced training in feeding & swallowing disorders
- Pediatric Dietitians
- Occupational Therapists with specialization in sensory processing difficulties
- Feeding Psychologist
- Social Worker
What happens at an appointment?
Based on your child’s needs, a few members of our team will meet all together with you and your child.
- We ask questions about your child’s health and eating
- We observe your child eat
- We assess their diet and growth
- We ensure proper medical evaluation is performed
- We develop a treatment plan based on your child’s needs
Prior to each appointment, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire about your child’s health and eating and a food log.
Who are the children we serve?
- Food refusal
- Dependency on an enteral tube (NG, Gtube, G-J tube, Jtube) and IV nutrition
- Restricted eating patterns
- Difficulty with certain textures
- Food allergies
- Oral aversion
- Poor weight gain
- Down syndrome
- GI dysmotility
- Short gut syndrome
- Premature infants
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Down syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Children with genetic, anatomical, or neurological disorders
Did you know?
- 1 in 4 children struggle with feeding difficulties
- 8 out of 10 children with developmental delay struggle with feeding difficulties
- Research suggests that children with feeding difficulties are best served by a multidisciplinary team, but very few programs such as this program, exist in the country
Patient Resources
Patient Forms
- New Patient Appointment Form | Formulario de primera cita de alimentación en Español (pdf)
- Follow-Up Appointment Form | Formulario de seguimiento en Español (pdf)
Food Logs
- New Patient Food Log (3 Days) | Registro de comidas (3 días) en Español (pdf)
- Follow-Up Patient Food Log (1 Day) | Registro de comidas (1 día) en Español (pdf)
Meet the Team
Pediatric Gastroenterologists
Lauren Fiechtner, MD, MPH, Director of Nutrition
Victoria Martin, MD, MPH
Chief of Pediatric Surgery
Speech - Language Pathologists (Specialists in Feeding & Swallowing)
Rebecca Baars, MS,CCC-SLP
Martha Bargmann, MS, CCC-SLP
Cheryl Hersh, MA, CCC-SLP
Lara Hirner, MS, CCC-SLP
Sarah Sally, MS, CCC-SLP
Jessica Sorbo, MS, CCC-SLP
Dietitians
Meaghan Alexander, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC
Jill Israelite, RD, LDN, CNSC, CSP
Taylor Kingston, RD, LDN, CNSC
Occupational Therapist
Sharon P. Serinsky, MS, OTR/L
Feeding Psychologist
Social Worker
Judy Burrows, MSW, LICSW
Fellow
Meg Simione, PhD, CCC-SLP