Picky Eater vs. Feeding Disorder

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: Simpy Stavish)

 

Are you concerned that your child is a picky eater? Are you over mealtime battles? Feeding disorders are extremely varied from child to child. One child may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are completely different from another child. It is important to recognize that there is a huge difference between a picky eater and a child with a feeding disorder.

Symptoms of a Picky Eater

• Requesting a limited variety of foods
• Eating foods from a select food group and avoiding others (typically avoiding dairy, vegetables and fruit)
• Favorite foods include carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and crackers (the white diet)
• Requesting a particular food brand and refusing to eat any other brand
• Throwing a tantrum when new foods are presented at meals

If your child displays one or more of the following symptoms he or she may have a more serious problem than just being “picky”.

Symptoms of a Child With a Feeding Disorder

• Poor weight gain or abnormal weight-loss
• Meal times last longer than 30 to 40 minutes
• Gags while eating
• Difficulty transitioning to higher texture foods and/or refusal to self feed
• Coughing or choking frequently during meals

If you are concerned about your child’s eating please contact us at (713) 510-5699. Based on your concerns, a referral can be made to our Speech-Language Pathologists who specialize in feeding evaluations and therapy.

Read the rest of this blog post on Simply Stavish