Posted on: April 6, 2009

Short-order Kids

Picky eaters can keep the eager-to-please parent running wild in the kitchen, but experts warn it could be a problem deeper than preference

By Matthew M. F. Miller
CTW Features

Kids err on the side of honesty, and when they dislike what's for dinner, they will honestly tell you how much they hate beans, burgers, peas or whatever food might be today's cause for complaint. For the most part, it's a simple matter of kids testing limits - and a parent's patience. Other times, however, it could be a sign of a larger feeding issue.

"The difference between a fussy eater and a child with a feeding disorder is the impact the eating behavior has on a child's physical and mental health," says Peter Girolami, Ph.D., assistant director of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Md.

According to Girolami, the travails of picky eating are as normal as those of potty training. Kids' taste buds and preferences evolve over the first few years of life, expanding and contracting, which accounts for the sudden dislike of foods once eaten regularly and without fuss. Pediatric feeding disorders, which affect close to 10 percent of infants and children, lead to malnourishment and inhibit growth and development.

The Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program, the largest such program in the world, says the following are common symptoms of a disorder:

ï¿½ An abrupt change in eating habits lasting longer than 30 days;

ï¿½ Delayed development of skill set necessary to self-feed or consume higher textures;

ï¿½ Weight-loss or failure to gain appropriate weight;

ï¿½ Choking/coughing during meals;

ï¿½ Unexplained fatigue, loss of energy; or

ï¿½ Disruptive behavior at mealtime.

Fixing the issue of a picky eater isn't simple, but with time and diligence parents can get kids to consume the foods they make. For kids with feeding disorders, the wide variances in symptoms make it difficult to treat.

"It's not a one-size fits all model," Girolami says. "Our team addresses the many causes of feeding disorders and their associated complications so we can give the child and family the best care available."

Some children can have aversions to food groups or certain textures and colors, while others lack the skills to self-feed or refuse to eat any food at all. The assortments of behaviors that constitute a feeding problem vary from child to child and include food refusal (e.g., crying, head turning, spitting out food, throwing utensils, packing or holding food in mouth, aggression, and getting out of the seat), coughing/gagging and vomiting.

Matthew M. F. Miller, author of “Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story” (HCI, 2008), is a syndicated fatherhood blogger