[summerbrooks]

I have a 8 year old daughter that in the last few months Ive noticed she is chewing and holding her food in her mouth refusing to swallow..Ive also noticed that at times after holding the food she spits it out on her plate. It seems to be getting worse that is why I have such a concern...She never complained till just the last days with a tummy ache

Please Help!

Summer

So difficult when our children are involved, isn' t it...
This must be so hard for you.. Without knowing more,,, the only suggestion I can make is to start with your family doc or your peds doc.... and let them guide you...

[summerbrooks]

I am going to take her to the doctor...I just wanted to see if anyone else has a similar problem...She eats,but most of it ends back on her plate or on the floor and tonight she was eating mashed potaotos and the potatos ended up on the dogs head....And she asked for more potatos thats what bothers me she chews the potatos,spits out and asked for more potatos... ..My husband says all she wants is junk food,but last night I notice she chewed and spit the ice cream cone I gave her out onto the floor after chewing and holding in her mouth...but as far as I know she ate the ice cream because I didnt find it any where...When I watch her i notice she holds food in her mouth all the time..

I understand now.. what you are saying... so sorry I didn't the first time... I am an adult with an ED...

No.. I haven't heard about this one.. I wish I could help..

It does seem like she wants to eat... because she is doing the samething with the ice cream cone and the potatoes..

please keep us posted on what doc says.....

[ickydog2006]

I've never heard of this, but it sounds almost as if it is a compulsion. It makes me wonder if it really has anything to do with eating. I would be really interested to find out what the doctor says about this behavior.

[Monty_girl]

I have actually heard of this being done by anorexics. Heard it called as chew and spit. They get the taste of the food, but don't get the calories from swallowing the food.

Does she ever talk about weight or her weight? ED's can start at an early age. And now with the media I believe we will see a lot younger kids with ED's.

I would take her to the doctor first thing. And talk to her about her body. Just get an idea of where she's at with her thoughts reguarding it. I hope everything works out for the best.

[summerbrooks]

Shes getting ready to turn 8 in October....I dont see it being a weight issue at this age

[kc11478]

Unfortunately, I know first hand of this behavior. It's something I've done for years when I'm eating alone. For me, it started when I was about 14 (I'm 28 now) and was concerned about my weight. I ate very little and chewed a lot. The more weight I lost, the more I did this. I continued for about two years until I had an "episode" with "gastritis" where I couldn't walk, sit up or do anything but scream with pain in my stomach. I went in the hospital for a few days and then my parents started monitoring my food intake. Once I started eating and not just chewing, I did gain weight, but had no more problems. I've not done it consistently over the years, but there are times when it happens. I'm not underweight, but please watch your child and she's so young...see if you can get her to talk to someone about it now. This is probably the first time I've ever mentioned it to anyone and I probably never will, as long as my health doesn't mandate that I do.

[zombiette]

hi,
i used to do this when i was anorexic...it often happened when i would start eating food, then freak out and decide i couldn't eat it so i would spit it out. it is possible for issues with food to start at such a young age - in fact, my own food issues started at eight - by that age i already had distinct foods that were off limits, and could tell you the calorie, fat and sugar count of the majority of food i ate. i do not think it had anything at all to do with body image or weight either - my physical appearance is in fact something that i have always been completely satisfied with and an aspect of myself that i am extremely confident about. i used food as a way of controlling my parents (amongst other things), as me not eating was one of the few things that would get their attention. so maybe have a think about how things are going for her and home, school, or any other area of significance in her life. a chat with a doctor or child psychologist might be an idea - it could just be bad behaviour that needs disciplining, but then again it could be a sign of more serious things, so it pays to be on the safe side!

How long has she been doing it for?
You said that you didn't think anorexia or bulimia was an issue... Has she lost weight or failed to meet expected weight gains?

She might have a sore tooth. Or she might have a sore throat so it is painful to swallow. Or, since she mentioned a sore tummy, she might have a gastrointestinal disorder. Kids tend to say 'sore tummy' for any kind of pain, however (e.g., kids with earaches often complain of having a sore tummy) so it is hard to know.

I'd be interested to know what the doctor says...