Prevalence Data & Research

Feeding problems affect up to 45% of typically developing children and up to 80% of developmentally disabled children.

• 25-45% in typically developing children
• 33-80% in children with developmental disabilities
  (Arvedson, 2008; Lefton-Greif, 2008; Williams, Witherspoon, Kavsac, Patterson, & McBlain, 2006)

Feeding and growth problems Incidence estimate range from 1% to 2% (Satter EM. The feeding relationship: problems and interventions. J Pediatrics. 1990;117:S181-S189)

In addition to typically developing children, feeding disturbances also may affect children with the following medical diagnoses:

• Autistic spectrum disorders
• Celiac disease
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Cerebral palsy
• Congenital heart disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Down Syndrome
• Endocrine disease
• Failure to thrive
• Immune deficiencies
• Gastroesophogeal reflux
• Oral facial anomalies
• Prematurity
• Gastro-intestinal disease

• Development
• Growth
• Nutrition
• Respiratory health
• Gastrointestinal function
• Emotional and social growth
• Parent-child interactions

• Early feeding behavior is thought to be neurologically based and developmental in nature and thus may provide insights into long term developmental outcomes.
  (Hanlon, 1997; Medoff-Cooper, 2005)
• At birth, the human infant is the LEAST neurologically mature primate of all, and the most reliant on physiological regulation by the caregiver for the longest period of time.
  (McKenna, 2003)
• The family is the most important and consistent context in which an infant develops.
  (Hanson et al., 1994)
• High-quality feeding interactions during the first years of life tend to be positively linked to the child's subsequent cognitive and linguistic competence and to more secure attachments to major caregivers.
  (Barnard, Hammond, Booth, et al., 1989)
   
• Whether or not children are well-nourished during their first years of life can have a profound effect on their health status, as well as their ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, socialize effectively and adapt to new environments and people.
  (Martorell, R. 1996. "Under nutrition During Pregnancy and Early Childhood and its Consequences for Behavioral Development." Paper prepared for World Bank's conference on Early Child Development: Investing in the Future, April 8 & 9, 1996.)
• Writing about failure to thrive and infantile anorexia, Dr. Irene Chatoor noted how feeding struggles indicate struggles with the parent-child relationship in the first three stages of development: homeostasis, attachment, and separation and individuation. What happens during feeding is vitally important to the child's emotional, social, and physical health. Knowing the child's age and current areas of development is helpful for interpreting the nature of the feeding struggle and for guiding an effective approach.