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Expert Q&A

	By John Dorsey, M.D. Pediatrician

My 20-month-old daughter (one of twins) is making herself throw up by sticking her finger down her throat in order to get Mommy and Daddy to return to her room when going to sleep or when she wants out of the crib before naptime is up. Previously, we implemented the Ferber method, and it was going wonderfully for months. But out of the blue there was an apparent repeat separation anxiety, and I have resorted to lying down on the bedroom floor every time I put her down. We have ruled out medical problems, and I know we have to "re-Ferberize," but how do we address the self-induced vomiting? Often we are not even present to stop it. Help!?

This is the type of question that might require a short sit-down conversation with your pediatrician. It might only take a half an hour, but you need to learn how to stop enabling your child. She now knows that what might have only started out to be experimenting with her environment has caused a reaction with Mom and Dad. She knows that with this behavior she will get a response. We see the same thing with kids who will twirl around and around, continually bump their head, repeatedly bite their lip or drop food off of the end of the table. All are experimental actions that get a reaction from parents. I definitely recommend that you seek a solution now, because next year trying to break the cycle will only be more difficult.

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