Eating Issues
The provision of adequate food for nourishment is essential. Some children have feeding difficulties, demonstrate food hording, refuse to eat solid foods, or develop behavioural difficulties relating to food.
Gorging of food may be an indicator of previous starvation, or emotional deprivation.
Picky eating behaviour is common in toddlers, and a flexible calm approach to meals, offering only nutritious food without struggles, is suggested. Appetite for meals can be improved by limiting between meal snacks or milk.
Management: of feeding problems requires an attempt to disentangle the eating behaviour from the emotional issues.
Nutritious food can be served calmly whilst caregivers refrain from giving any feed back about how or if it was eaten. Over time, the child will become hungry and eat what is needed. If a basically healthy child is offered only nutritious food, then the child will never starve, and will generally eat what they need.
Often more difficult behaviours may require formal assessment and management advice. A sensitive approach, specifically tailored to the child’s developmental stage, is necessary.
Paediatric, dietetic or speech pathology assessment may be necessary – GP referral required.
Possible Referral Sources
Maternal Child Health nurse
Community Health Centre - dietician
General Practitioner
Paediatrician
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