Treatment of selective and inadequate food intake in children: a review and practical guide

Abstract

Treatment of highly selective or low overall eating by children may prevent the development of more complicated feeding difficulties, which can result in compromised health status and developmental concerns as well as the need for more intensive interventions. Caregiver-friendly intervention strategies that can be implemented with children in their community environments (e.g., in the child's home or school) may reduce the need for tertiary care. A small but growing number of studies have found that certain behavioral procedures can be effective in the absence of escape extinction with children who have established eating patterns (i.e., inadequate intake, selectivity by food type). This article reviews these procedural variations within the behavioral pediatric feeding literature and provides a practical guide for individuals who develop behavioral interventions for children in community settings.