Sitting in the right position while eating and drinking is important for tube-fed children to have a successful meal. Some tube-fed children with muscle tone and muscle weakness or who find it hard to control and manage their movements need extra care to make sure they are safe when eating and drinking.
There is a correct position for children to be in when eating. This position will give your child more energy and help them focus on eating, rather than keeping their bodies upright.
If your child is in a comfortable and stable position, they will find it easier to use the muscles needed for biting, chewing, swallowing and breathing.
Your child is at risk of inhaling their food or drink and choking if they are in an awkward, uncomfortable, or incorrect position when eating and drinking.
The best position for your child to be in at mealtimes is:
Some chairs, such as the Stokke Tripp Trapp and Mocka Feeding chair, can help your child sit in the right position at mealtimes.
The chairs can:
A booster seat and/or individual footstool can also help support your child to sit in a comfortable position at mealtimes.
This image shows a young child sitting in the correct position to eat. They are sitting in a Stokke Tripp Trapp feeding chair.
Wheelchairs provide a greater amount of support for a child than most other seats do.
But, it is still important to aim for the following:
Wheelchair users tend to benefit from extra support. A tray attached to their wheelchair can also allow easier access to foods.
When a child is eating in a wheelchair it is important their hips, knees and ankles are at 90-degree angles.
Try to aim for the following when helping your tube-fed child eat and drink:
The content on this page has been developed and approved by the Clinical Network for Paediatric Tube Feeding, Paediatric Society of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa.
This page last reviewed 12 November 2022.
Email us [2] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/tags/tube-feeding
[2] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F2753%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hant