Feeding Therapy for Special Populations: The Premature Infant

Course overview

Feeding therapy looks different for every child. Understanding a child's medical history and the reason they refuse foods can help therapists provide the best treatment. This 2-hour view-on-demand, recorded webinar takes a closer look at premature infants, focusing on why they are at risk for feeding difficulties later in life. This course explains more about feeding in the NICU and discusses common risk factors that can lead to feeding difficulties post-NICU. At the end of this course, you will be able to (1) state at least five contributors that impact feeding readiness in the NICU. (2) list one reason why babies who spent time in the NICU are at risk for feeding aversion, (3) identify the correlation between prematurity and pediatric feeding difficulties, (4) state three common diagnoses that challenge premature infants when they leave the NICU and how they can impact feeding, and (5) identify three feeding therapy interventions that can support a child who spent time in the NICU. This distance-learning, independent format is offered at 0.2 CEUs, Introductory level, OT Service Delivery, and targeted to introductory- to intermediate-level OTs, COTAs, other pediatric professionals, and parents. The course instructor, McKenzie Hoffman, MA, CCC-SLP, has been working as a therapist with a passion for feeding since 2020. She began her career at a pediatric outpatient clinic, where she started a feeding program and built a feeding team. Later, she moved to an outpatient setting in a children's hospital providing NICU follow-up services for babies and their families. Currently, she works in an inpatient setting at the same hospital working with families in the NICU and with pediatric inpatients. McKenzie strongly believes in collaboration, working alongside PTs and OTs using an early intervention team approach to help resolve feeding issues. For more information on our recorded courses, visit our website: https://www.sensationalbrain.com/product-category/ceu/on-demand-webinars. To stay abreast of our latest live and view-on-demand course offerings, sales, and FREEBIES, consider subscribing to our newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of our home page. Send questions to celeste@sensationalbrain.com.