Interdisciplinary Feeding Team: A Medical, Motor, Behavioral Approach to Complex Pediatric Feeding Problems.

Pediatric feeding difficulties are complex and multifactorial in nature. Children who need assessment and individualized treatment for complex feeding problems are best served by an interdisciplinary treatment team. The medical, motor, and behavioral approach to treating pediatric feeding problems is presented as an avenue to treatment. By necessity, this approach requires a well-functioning interdisciplinary team, including nurses, physicians, registered dietitians, and feeding therapists (speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists). We describe a robust interdisciplinary feeding team that applies a medical, motor, and behavioral approach to treating pediatric feeding problems. Within this team, pediatric gastroenterology nurse practitioners, dietitians, and speech pathologists function as integral members of the team. Description of each team member's expertise is provided and how they operate to support children with feeding problems and their families.