Royal Children’s Hospital patient Ruby Burton is 18-months-old and hasn’t been able to eat properly since she was born.

The problem had baffled doctors since she was two weeks old, but the case was finally cracked at the RCH on Thursday.

RCH gastroenterologist Dr Jeremy Rosenbaum said a test revealed the pipe that carried food from her mouth to her stomach contracted and relaxed abnormally.

This caused food to get stuck or to reflux back up, making eating and drinking uncomfortable for the Geelong toddler.

“If she could talk, she would probably tell us things get stuck – kids learn quickly, if it hurts they don’t do it,” Dr Rosenbaum said.

But the cause of her rare condition, called oesophageal dysmotility disorder, is not clear.

Mum Rebecca Burton said the trouble began when Ruby developed feeding problems at two weeks old.

“But she knows no different, and I think as long she’s got Mum around she’s right … she’s very happy” Ms Burton said.

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