ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the range of feeding problems from birth to early childhood from a theoretical and clinical perspective. Feeding problems are usually understood as being part of a relationship and never simply located within the child. Feeding problems are usually defined as starting before the age of 6 years and are rarely, if ever, defined in terms of subjective anxieties of the child but usually in terms of observed behavior or adults’ descriptions. A feeding difficulty becomes a problem when it is associated with additional developmental, medical, or emotional problems. The boundary between a feeding problem, often parent defined, and a disorder, often professionally defined, is indistinct. Most cases presenting to a hospital setting have a multifactorial cause and maintenance involving medical, developmental, social, and psychological factors; and in these cases it is unlikely that the children will simply grow out of the problem without help. The difficulty of negotiating issues of independence and control with their caregivers can result in conflict, and these problems are often labeled as behavioral. This chapter will give an overview of issues relating to diagnosis and classification, control and responsibility, and assessment, with reference to texts from which further information can be sought.
