4 1/2 year old son

by Christina
(Horicon, wi)

For about a year now my son has had a problem with smells.. Everytime he smells something that is a mixture of smells he starts to gag. Sometimes he will even throw up from the gagging. We can no longer take him out to eat anymore.. He will even do this in the house, car or anyplace we go. I have asked the pediatrician about it, called the ENT and I am not getting any ideas of what this could be.




I thought this would be something he would out grow this problem but has not. Im not sure if anyone has ever heard of this happening before. I am also trying to get through the school for OT but they won't give him the services.



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Feb 25, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My son is acting the same way
by: Erin

I'm curious if you have found out anything more about what is happening with your son. I have a son who will be 4 in May and for the last few months, he has been hyper-sensitive to certain smells as well. Sometimes to the point of gagging and throwing up. (Tonight it was over a piece of fruity gum his sister had just begun chewing). I will be contacting his doctor about it tomorrow and thought I would dig around on the internet tonight. I appreciate any thoughts you can share with me.
Dec 28, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		School OT
by: Mary Ann Miller

Here are few things you need to know.

IDEA, Individual with Disabilities Education Act mandates that a child may qualify for school based OT but the child must first be identified with a disability that interferes with his education....which do to social issues, this would. Your child needs OT intervention to become more independent/better able to participate in school activities. Now...the variable is that he may not need special education so there is the RTI which is another mandate....Response to Intervention. The National Dissemination Center for Children with disabilities should be able to help you with these questions....800-695-0285.
The 504 plan which is under the Federal Rehabilitation Act provides for children who do not need an IEP (Individual Education Program) under IDEA but do need other services due to medical impairments. I believe that all of these are directed at children age 3 and up.
Dec 27, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pathogens
by: Mary Ann Miller

Here are a few thoughts. As I am not a Phd. please do your own research on the following.

There are exercises that your child can do to help stabilize his gag reflex, and do realize that gagging is not necessarily sensory overload. Check out: w w w wikihow.com / Suppress-the-gag-reflex.
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Exogenous agents-airborne pathogens:
If he is allergic to a food there could also be airborne particles that trigger his reactions. Dairy products are interesting. Check out: notmilk on the net........organic or goats milk would be a solution here, so could soy or rice milk. Because he is a boy, based on a lot of reading, boys should limit their intake of soy products due to the phytoestrogen production of soy. Be aware that many products contain soy. He could actually be having a reaction to soy. Glutens..Celiac Disease..any product with wheat flour....another bummer that we have to deal with today.

I have named a few of the big natural offenders but there could be chemical toxins triggering his response and many other problems. (Bisulphates and many other preservatives can cause allergic reactions.)And don't forget simple kitchen cleaners! Keep it simple and as organic as possible and see if he improves. Do some research into using equal parts of vinegar and peroxide to make a great anti-bacterial spray for your kitchen counters. It also kills bacteria and parasites on fresh (with skin) vegetables and fruits. But first please check with and ENT and gastro doc. Tonsils, cysts....there is a plethora of issues that could trigger gagging.

(You may also want to try some bio-feedback....meditative based audio/visual therapies.)

Not to muddle the water anymore....but do make sure that he is not having psychological problems like post traumatic stress or even Bulimia.

I hope this is of some help....but again please first check with your doctor.

Namaste'
Mary Ann

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