2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Feeding difficulties in children are underestimated and yet very common: there is now a tool allowing pediatricians to better diagnose them.
What is feeding difficulty?
Any obstacle that interferes with meeting the child's food needs is considered a feeding difficulty.
Eating problems: incidence and causes
Studies show that 60-70% of parents of he althy children say they have a feeding problem. According to nutrition specialists, these difficulties in eating well are often underestimated and therefore underdiagnosed, in particular due to poor communication between doctors and parents.
Food problems can be explained by physiological factors such as appetite, as well as genetic factors. The causes can also be psychological: the child's quest for autonomy, lack of affection or negative interactions between mother and child.
Help to better diagnose
Thanks to IMFeD (Identification and Management of Feeding Difficulties), the tool developed by theAbbott He althcare, paediatricians will be able to classify eating problems into six categories to better manage them:
- Very selective food consumption
- Lack of appetite resulting from parents' misperception
- Lack of appetite in a basically vigorous child
- Fears about food
- Lack of appetite due to organic disease
- Lack of appetite in an apathetic and withdrawn child
The causes of eating difficulties
Unfortunately, me altimes are a painful time of day for too many families because their child has difficulty getting enough and he althy food; the situation can deteriorate if these problems persist, as they can interfere with calorie and nutrient intake and affect the child's long-term physical, psychological and cognitive development.
For information on the different categories of eating difficulties, visit the Abbott website.
