As parents guide their babies through new experiences, many challenges may arise. Sometimes it’s tricky to know the difference between normal hurdles that will pass quickly and problems that will benefit from professional guidance. Feeding problems can fit into both categories.
Whether you’re introducing your baby to formula for the first time after breastfeeding or you’re transitioning to solid foods, sometimes problems eating or drinking can crop up. If feeding problems are persistent, then a visit to a specialist is needed.
Here at the Center for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Dr. Rajeev Nagpal, Dr. Christopher Smith, Dr. Alexis Rodriguez, and nurse practitioner Stephanie Mensch are dedicated to diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal and nutritional issues in children. Whether you’re raising your first child or your fifth, all children go through an adjustment as they learn to eat and drink a variety of different foods.
Getting enough nutrition is crucial to your baby’s growth and development. So it’s perfectly normal to feel concerned when you notice that your baby is having trouble eating or drinking. We’d like parents to know that feeding problems come in all shapes and sizes and affect children of all ages. While it’s understandably stressful for parents, it’s important to know that feeding problems are treatable. Knowing the signs of a feeding problem versus normal, temporary eating hurdles is a good place to start.
Warning signs of a feeding problem
Some babies have trouble eating and drinking in the beginning. These normal infant hurdles tend to pass as your baby adjusts. However, persistent feeding problems during infancy and early childhood may mean that your child has an issue interfering with their ability to take in enough nourishment.
Here are some common red flags to look out for in your child:
- Refuses to eat
- Vomits frequently
- Has gas when feeding
- Cries during feeding
- Takes an extended time to eat
- Unable to hold food or liquid in mouth
- Has noticeable difficulty chewing or swallowing
Babies with feeding problems may not be able to get enough nutrition to stay healthy. You may notice that your baby is not gaining enough weight. Stopping in for a visit with our doctors will reduce the risk of complications from feeding problems.
What causes feeding problems?
A wide variety of issues can cause feeding problems. In some cases, temporary illness can cause problems with feeding, and babies with teething pain may have some challenges eating and drinking. Swallowing disorders can prevent food and liquids from easily passing from the esophagus into the stomach. Sometimes digestive problems like slow emptying of the stomach can cause feeding problems.
Diagnosing feeding disorders
Trust your instincts if you suspect that your child may have a feeding disorder. Our team has expertise in diagnosing and treating feeding disorders. We examine your baby and perform an assessment that may include evaluating their:
- Oral motor skills
- Dietary intake
- Symptoms
- Growth pattern
In some cases the doctor may order relevant blood work and tests that evaluate your baby’s swallowing ability, such as the barium swallow assessment.
If you’re concerned about your baby’s feeding, we’re one phone call away. Reach out to one of our team members by calling 708-251-4931 to schedule a consultation or request an appointment online. We have offices throughout the Greater Chicago area in Evergreen Park, Naperville, Elmhurst, Joliet, Munster, Bourbonnais, and Hazel Crest, Illinois.
FAQs
Whether you're getting certified for the first time or maintaining your certification, the pediatric board exam is one of the most rigorous exams you'll ever take! It requires months of preparation.
How many times can you fail the pediatric board? ›
The ABP's Time-limited Eligibility for Initial Certification Examinations policy is not based on the number of times an individual can take an exam but instead establishes a seven-year limit to the time that can lapse between a pediatrician's successful completion of training and achievement of certification.
How long is the pediatric gastroenterology board exam? ›
Including time for registration, introduction, tutorial, the actual exam, optional breaks, and a survey, the Pediatrics Certifying Exam is a one-day, approximately nine-hour long exam. There is a total of 420 minutes to answer all questions in the exam.
What is the impact factor of JPGN? ›
We are proud to announce the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2019 IMPACT FACTOR. The 2019 Impact Factor for JPGN is 2.937, confirming once again that JPGN is one of the premier subspecialty journals in pediatrics!!
What is the fail rate for pediatric board? ›
The curve was meant to ensure that 20-25% of first-time test takers failed the pediatric boards resulting in a pediatric board pass rate of about 75 – 80%. So, your chances of success were determined by the mix of your peers. If your peers were smarter than you, that meant you were more likely to fail!
How to pass a pediatric board exam? ›
Preparing for the Pediatric Board Exam
- Understand the Structure of the Exam. Step one: Know what material is going to be covered in the exam. ...
- Know What to Expect on Exam Day. ...
- Plan Out a Study Strategy. ...
- Find a Smart ABP Question Bank. ...
- Practice & Re-Practice. ...
- Identify & Attack Weak Areas. ...
- Treat Your Body Right. ...
- During the Exam.
While USMLE exam failure rates since 2014 remained steady between 2 and 6%, initial board certification exam failure rates have higher variance. For pediatrics, it ranged from 9 to 19%, internal medicine 9–13%, and general surgery 6–21% [7–10].
What happens if you don't pass pediatric boards? ›
What Happens If You Fail the Pediatric Board Exam? While failing a board exam can be devastating, just know it is not the end of your career as a pediatrician. With only an 80% pass rate in 2022, this test is extremely hard. You may retake the test for up to seven years after you finish your residency training.
How many hours to study for pediatric board? ›
If your exam is less than 8 weeks away and you have just started your board preparation, then you will need to study approximately 37 hours per week in order to reach the 300 hours mentioned. We've helped pediatricians pass their board exams even when they waited until the last 4-6 weeks to study!
What is the pass rate for the GI board exam? ›
That number has remained fairly steady over the last five years, with a 97% pass rate in 2019 and 2020, a 96% pass rate in 2021, and a 95% pass rate in 2022. Gastroenterologists had the highest pass rate of any physician specialty in 2023, tied with infectious disease specialists.
How long is the Gastroenterology Certification Exam? The exam consists of up to 240 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions, mostly pertaining to patient scenarios in practice settings.
What is passing for GI boards? ›
Gastroenterology Certification Exam Scoring
Overall performance is reported on a standardized score scale ranging from 200 to 800, with a mean of 500. To pass the Gastroenterology board examination, your standardized score must equal or exceed the standardized passing score.
What is the most impact factor? ›
Top 10 highest Impact Factor journals
| Rank | Journal Title | Impact Factor |
|---|
| 1 | CA-A Cancer Journal for Clinicians | 254.7 |
| 2 | Lancet | 168.9 |
| 3 | New England Journal of Medicine | 158.5 |
| 4 | JAMA- Journal of the American Medical Association | 120.7 |
6 more rowsApr 8, 2024
Impact Factors are used to measure the importance of a journal by calculating the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years. The higher the impact factor, the more highly ranked the journal. It is one tool you can use to compare journals in a subject category.
What affects impact factor? ›
The impact factor is a very useful tool for evaluation of journals, but it must be used discreetly. Considerations include the amount of review or other types of material published in a journal, variations between disciplines, and item-by-item impact.
What is the hardest board exam in the medical field? ›
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) takes the top spot as the most challenging exam in the US, with an average preparation time ranging from 200 to 400 hours for each of its three steps.
What happens if you fail pediatric board? ›
While failing a board exam can be devastating, just know it is not the end of your career as a pediatrician. With only an 80% pass rate in 2022, this test is extremely hard. You may retake the test for up to seven years after you finish your residency training.
How many questions are in the pediatric board exam? ›
The General Pediatrics Certifying Examination consists of approximately 330-350 multiple-choice questions. Subspecialty certifying exams consist of approximately 200 multiple-choice questions, and proctored Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exams consist of approximately 190 multiple choice questions.
What is the hardest medical board exam? ›
What Is the Most Difficult Medical Exam?
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. ...
- Source. ...
- National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I. ...
- Source. ...
- Australian Medical Council (AMC) Examination. ...
- Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Test.
