Regurgitating food

Sorry Madmeg but if it s harming his oesophagus and his teeth it can’t be likened to twisting hair or sucking a thumb It sounds like either a bad habit he’s got into or something wrong with his digestive system which may need investigating
I think it’s a bit out of date to refer to him as ‘being classed as mental case’
I think this is something you will have to listen to the professionals about

This might stop if he is encouraged to chew his food properly in the first place. Worth a try.

Just saying....one Meg to another!

I think that seeing a paediatric psychologist may well help. My DD was referred to one when she was not much older than your DGS. In her case it was sleep related, but she did derive a lot of benefit from the sessions.

As OldMeg says, perhaps he is not chewing his food properly if he is able to regurgitate it and it is still in a chewable state.

Does he eat on his own or with his parents? Perhaps they can eat with him and encourage him to chew properly and thoroughly. Perhaps he gets very hungry and gulps his food down.

Mental case is a very discriminatory thing to say and should not be used now ever! I have heard of this and it is probably due to a lax valve into the stomach and him now having learned how to do it become a habit which can probably be resolved with the help of a psychologist - it is a bit like chewing hair which can cause health problems and other recurrent behaviours. It is not harmless as it is causing physical problems.

There's a possibility it could be sorted out with a mere habit-breaking exercise. See if you can get a liquid diet like complan or something that is nutritionally suitable for his age, and have him on that and no solids for, say, a month. It might be just long enough to get him over the hurdle of breaking the habit and with any luck he won't go back to it when he starts solids again. A bit like any habit such as drugs, you need a few weeks with no access to it in order to give yourself a good start.

I agree with OldMeg and Jalima.
I've never heard of this problem before.

I agree with IngeJones about a liquid diet. You can ask a doctor to prescribe modulen or Scandishakes. These are used a lot for children who have IBD and have all calories and nutrients needed to give bowels a rest They are usually used over a 6 - 8 week time frame. It would be worth a go.

Is he anxious about school? One of our little ones chewed her hair at age 4 or 5 (breaking off the sides) but a year later, happily settled into school, she is very confident and stopped doing it a while ago.

I have never heard of this before and would be very reluctant to offer advice when presumably he has seen a paediatrician who has talked it through with his parents. I think a psychologist is a really good idea, and will also give support to his parents. Try not to worry too much, seeing a psychologist is in no way a judgement on the parents, just a practical solution to a problem that am sure will resolve in time.