Refer an Infant for a Feeding Evaluation
I accept referrals for infants experiencing difficulty with breast or bottle feeding, including persistent latch difficulty, poor suction, inefficient transfer, bottle refusal, and concerns involving oral-motor function or feeding coordination. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist and Certified Lactation Counselor, I assess infant feeding function while considering the complete breast- or bottle-feeding relationship, collaborate with the family's lactation and medical providers, and provide recommendations based on functional findings.
When to refer
Consider a referral when breast- or bottle-feeding stays painful, inefficient, uncoordinated, or stressful despite appropriate foundational support, or when there's a concern about the infant's oral feeding function or swallowing:
- Persistent latch difficulty despite appropriate lactation support
- Poor or inefficient suction and milk transfer
- Difficulty coordinating sucking, swallowing, and breathing
- Bottle refusal, or difficulty transitioning between breast and bottle
- Coughing, choking, congestion, or breathing or color changes with feeds
- Concerns about oral-motor function or feeding-related swallowing
- A functional feeding assessment before or after a frenectomy, when clinically appropriate
What I assess
- Oral mechanism and oral-motor examination
- Latch, suction, and sucking patterns
- Suck-swallow-breathe coordination, feeding efficiency, and endurance
- Breast and/or bottle feeding, observed when appropriate
- Clinical signs that may warrant additional swallowing or medical assessment
- Functional findings, with written recommendations and a plan when therapy is indicated
A simple, collaborative referral
You don't need to decide between a lactation package and feeding therapy. A professional referral for a functional infant-feeding concern generally routes to the Comprehensive Infant Feeding Evaluation, with final triage by me. I'm not a replacement for an IBCLC or the family's medical team — I'm a collaborative clinical layer for feeding function, and I coordinate care and share findings with you and the family's other providers.
I focus on functional feeding findings. I don't diagnose tongue-tie from appearance alone, don't promise that any single intervention will resolve feeding, and don't overstate swallowing-safety conclusions that would require an instrumental assessment. For urgent medical concerns, families are directed to their pediatrician or emergency services.
Prefer to talk first? Reach out through the contact page and I'll follow up to coordinate the referral.