- The clinic develops a personalized treatment plan that includes a consultant in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, pediatric clinical psychologist, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology and nutritional counseling
- Holistic approach focuses on child’s medical, nutritional, feeding ability and psychological wellbeing — meaning mealtime battles may become a thing of the past
- It caters to all feeding issues from extreme pickiness to sensory issues or tube feeding dependence for children with wider health or medical conditions
Abu Dhabi, UAE; September 26, 2024: Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children, part of the M42 group, has launched a comprehensive feeding clinic designed to address a variety of feeding challenges in children, including extreme pickiness. This means mealtime battles may soon become a thing of the past– reducing stress for the whole family.
Children across the globe go through a picky eating phase between the ages of two and five, but this can begin even earlier. From unusual behaviors, picky eating and swallowing safely to restricted diets, it may be a struggle for both parents and the child. Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children’s new comprehensive feeding clinic is more than just teaching children to eat appropriately; its primary purpose is to help children and their families develop effective feeding behaviors and patterns.
Working closely with the families, specialists at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children will determine the difficulties in feeding and develop personalized, strategic, and specific therapies to support in this journey. The comprehensive feeding clinic’s team of experts includes pediatric gastroenterologists, speech and language pathologists, psychologists and dietitians who collaborate to create personalized plans to help children overcome mealtime struggles. Together, they will offer comprehensive evaluations and support for issues such as extreme pickiness, difficulty chewing or swallowing, sensory issues, tube-feeding dependence, and pain or discomfort while eating.
Taking a holistic approach centered on the child’s medica and nutritional needs, feeding abilities, and psychological well-being, the clinic aims to streamline the treatment journey and enhance outcomes for young patients and their families. This includes catering to the needs of all children, including those with chromosomal abnormalities, congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, and various gastrointestinal problems, including reflux and eosinophilic esophagitis.
Dr. Ala Shaikh Khalil, Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children said, “We’ve noticed that many of our patients struggle with feeding problems. We understand that mealtimes can be a source of frustration and stress when children are very picky or have feeding and swallowing difficulties. This is why our team created the comprehensive feeding clinic. Issues range from difficulty handling certain textures to more severe problems like food entering the lungs instead of the GI tract, which often requires tube feeding.”
“Feeding problems in young children are complex and require an interdisciplinary approach. Our patient-centered approach works closely with families throughout the treatment process to help achieve the best outcomes. Having all the support available at Danat Al Emarat ensures that families get a full continuum of care. This means all the support they need is all available in one place, with a unified set of recommendations, after telling their story just once,” Dr. Ala added.
Crucial psychological support
Dr. Summia Zaher, Chief Executive Officer and Consultant, Obstetrics & Gynecology Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children said, “In our commitment to enriching the lives of the families in our care, Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children is delighted to launch our new specialized clinic dedicated to addressing childhood feeding challenges. We understand the profound importance of nurturing not only our children’s physical health but also their emotional and psychological well-being. Our goal is to make feeding both safe and pleasurable for the child and their family.”
Dr. Ala emphasized the importance of a personalized treatment plan. She said, “We assess each child to ensure there are no undiagnosed medical issues, optimize their nutrition, ensure safe and efficient feeding practices and provide crucial psychological support to both the child and their family.”
Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children is committed to building healthy communities through these initiatives designed to assist families in overcoming feeding challenges. For more information or to schedule an appointment at the feeding clinic please contact 800 96626 or email [email protected]
About Danat Al Emarat Hospital
Danat Al Emarat, an M42 company, is a world-class specialty women and children’s hospital located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The five-story hospital, accredited as a clinical research center by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, covers an area of 58,000 square meters, with 225 beds. The hospital offers a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services including Neonatology & Pediatrics, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Women’s Diagnostics & Breast Imaging and others, all of which are equipped with the latest technology and led by highly qualified clinicians to provide unmatched patient and family-centered care.
Our medical team is hand-picked from the international and local market specializing in numerous sub-specialties. Our 130+ consultants and primary care physicians work closely together to ensure the entire needs of women and children are addressed in a single convenient location and to the highest standards.
About M42
M42 is a first-of-its-kind, global tech-enabled health powerhouse committed to the sustainable future of health. The Abu Dhabi-headquartered company is transforming lives through innovative solutions that are solving the world’s most critical health and diagnostic challenges. By harnessing unique medical and data-centric technologies, including genomics and AI, M42 is delivering the highest level of personalized, precise, and preventative health solutions to impactfully disrupt the global health landscape.
M42 has over 20,000 employees and more than 450 facilities in 26 countries. Established in 2022, following the coming together of G42 Healthcare and Mubadala Health, M42 combines leading health technologies with state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to deliver world-class health solutions, services and care.
The M42 group includes Diaverum, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi, among others.