Fussy eating, dysphagia and ARFID
What is fussy eating, dysphagia and ARFID?
Fussy eating refers to children refuse certain foods or eat selectively. They may refers certain textures, colors, or brands, may reject new or mixed foods and eat a limited but nutritionally sufficient range. This can be atypical part of development and children exploring new foods.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (AFRID) is an eating disorder in which a child shows extreme restriction or avoidance of food that leads to nutritional, medical, or psychosocial impairment. AFRID is not a typical part of development and requires professional support.
Dysphagia is when a child cannot safely intake and swallow food, this could be due to challenges in the mouth or the swallow process. Signs of dysphagia include coughing and choking when eating, a gurgly voice after swallowing and difficulty chewing food or keeping this within the mouth. Dysphagia can occur for a range of reasons and requires professional assessment and intervention.
Feeding development
<6 months: Child opens mouth when food approaches (4.5 months)
6-9 months: The child may start shifting their tongue while eating and show improved chewing skills.
9-12 months: 15% of babies use a straw to drink
12 months: The child may be eating more table foods, and chewing and swallowing without choking
16 months: Child can use sippy cup independently
2 years: The child may still require caregivers' support with open cups
9-12 years: Child has similar bite force and skill to adults when eating hard foods
Please keep in mind, that when drinking children can start with a straw and sippy cup, yet still require assistance with open cups at 2 years of age.
Why is my child a fussy eater?
Assessing a child's feeding abilities is essential when any concerning signs arise, as they may indicate underlying issues that require attention.
Some potential causes of picky eating could include:
- Sensory aversions
- Allergies
- Poor motor development
- Lack of mealtime structure
- Distractions during mealtimes
Why is my child having difficulty eating?
Children may experience difficulties with eating for a variety of reasons including developmental factors, physical and structural problems, underlying medical conditions or sensory processing.
How can I help my child to eat?
Children are unique and require individual strategies to support their personal experiences. General strategies include:
- Building confidence, choice and control around mealtimes.
- Try describing foods based on their characteristics such as soft, colourful and sweet rather than good/bad or healthy/unhealthy.
- Don't use food as a 'reward' or emotional tool, stick to using it for its nutritional purpose.
For further information and suggestions, we recommend booking in for an assessment with one of our speech pathologists.