I bet you could share some experiences about the "fussy eaters" in your family.  As a mom, feeding your child can be one of the most rewarding aspects of parenting.  For me, there is nothing better than seeing a baby or toddler happily eating.

But imagine a child who does not know how to eat or is physically unable?

Food is love of course, and it can be frustrating and scary for parents whose child has a feeding problem.

As part of our Gerber Center for Infant Development and Nutrition at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, a team of neurodevelopmental pediatricians and nutrition specialists help children who need to learn to eat. Six-year-old Chris Butler, is one of the dozens of children who have benefitted from the Intensive Feeding Program.

On the other end of the spectrum are the children who need extra education on nutrition, healthy food choices and weight management. Our newly opened Healthy Weight Center is designed to help children with obesity in a family-centered care approach. You can learn more about what we are doing about the problem of childhood obesity here.

Both of these centers are unique to children's hospitals, and in fact are rare enough even among children's hospitals. The Intensive Feeding Program is the only one of its kind in Michigan and one of only a handful in the country. The Healthy Weight Center is participating in a National Association of Children's Hospitals project to design a standardized, measureable approach to reduce obesity which now affects one in three children in America.

I am proud to point out that both of these programs result from community philanthropic support of the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation which makes possible the life saving work of our pediatric specialists.

What wisdom and advice can you share about helping a child with feeding problems?