Les problèmes alimentaires chez les bébés et les jeunes enfants une nouvelle perspective

Developmental and physiological aspects of feeding should be considered when assessing infants and young children who present with food refusal. Physiological aberration in the feeding process may occur in infants with or without medical diagnosis. The three main causes of feeding problems are considered to be poor or erratic appetite, oral/pharyngeal sensory aberrations and oral/pharyngeal motor coordination difficulties. Food refusal and interactional difficulties during feeding are treated as the outcome of a feeding problem in the infant rather than as the cause, although over time, maladjusted feeding relationships may serve to maintain the original feeding problem. A vignette illustrates the complex process of assessment and treatment of feeding problems. Interventions suggested for managing more simple feeding problems in primary care settings may help normalize feeding for infants and their parents.