Her family tried many treatments to encourage her to eat, but none of them worked. Then, in April this year, she took part in the TREAT (Treatment for Reluctant Eaters) programme being held by clinicians at Addenbrooke’s hospital. Within five days she was eating enough to stop the tube feeding completely and in July her feeding tube will be removed. “It’s been amazing, she’s doing so well,” says her mum, Jarna. “It’s early days and we have a long way to go. But for the first time she’s started to get interested in food. She’s never really tasted anything before so new flavours and textures are fascinating to her. She’s sticking her fingers in everything, just like a child should!” she says.
Camilla Salvestrini, is the consultant in Paediatric Gastroenterology who has led the research at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge “The results of the programme have been fantastic. It really works, she says. “It takes 2 hours a day for 5 consecutive days to change things significantly. The children and their families are coached and supported by a team of specialists and at the end of the week, most of the patients have built a positive relationship with food that allows them to eat – and for many, it’s the first time in years.”
The research was carried out on six patients all under the age of sixteen, over a five day period. They spent two hours in a play room in a non-clinical building every day, playing games and doing activities which were food related. Each session included one meal. Separately in another room the parents or carers of each patient were also given sessions on how to manage their anxiety around tube and normal feeding and given tips on how to support their children at home. “Often the issues around feeding are behavioural. We try to change those behaviours by breaking down anxiety around food and normalising eating through play.”
Camilla first started working on the idea for the TREAT treatment programme in 2008 when she worked at the Royal Free Hospital in London, but has only recently picked up the idea again. She’s keen to point out that similar services for children with feeding problems exist around the country but none so far is known to have delivered substantial results so quickly -- in just five days. “TREAT is simple and low cost and can be done anywhere. It’s early days but we’re hoping it could be taken on more widely so more patients with behavioural feeding issues can benefit.”
- There are five children’s specialists working at the TREAT programme – a clinical psychologist, a speech and language therapist, a dietician , a play specialist and a consultant gastroenterologist
- The team find the root of the anxiety around each patient’s experience and contain and dissolve it. With the children this is done through play. With the parents and families it’s done through offering information and support.
- The parents are encouraged to continue the new practices and behaviours at home with their children and support is offered during the following weeks.
- The team will now apply for grants to expand and sustain the service and to allow even more children to be treated effectively. Once more patients are treated the results will be published.