Nathan’s Story
Julie’s pregnancy was difficult; she was hospitalized and on bed rest. Nathan came a month early; he weighed just 3.5 pounds at birth, and spent a month in the newborn intensive care unit. From the start, Julie and her husband, Robert, had a difficult time getting Nathan to eat. As he grew older he was reluctant to take solid foods and became severely underweight. Even after seeing specialists they didn’t come away with a clear understanding of their son’s problem.
Finally, Julie brought him to Southwest’s Children’s Developmental Center, which specializes in team evaluations. Distraught parents can be overwhelmed when different specialists present confusing or conflicting advice. Here, a developmental pediatrician, a disabilities specialist, a speech-language therapist, an occupational therapist and a dietitian worked with Nathan and his family to complete one report and recommend one treatment plan.