Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan;54(1):81-87.
doi: 10.1002/eat.23274. Epub 2020 Apr 14.

First presentation of restrictive early onset eating disorders in Asian children

Chu Shan Elaine Chew  1 , Siobhan Kelly  2 , Amerie Baeg  2 , Jean Yin Oh  1 , Kumudhini Rajasegaran  1 , Courtney Davis  1
Affiliations

First presentation of restrictive early onset eating disorders in Asian children

Chu Shan Elaine Chew et al. Int J Eat Disord. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to describe the spectrum of children with restrictive early onset eating disorders (EOEDs), defined as below 13 years of age, presenting to a tertiary institution in Asia and comparing them with older adolescents with eating disorders.

Methods: This is a retrospective case review of Asian children who were treated in an eating disorder center. Baseline characteristics and inpatient management at first presentation of children younger than 13 years of age (EOED) were compared to those in older adolescents.

Results: A total of 288 patients with restrictive eating disorders were analyzed with 53 (18%) patients having onset younger than age 13 at initial presentation. There were no significant differences in percentage weight loss and hospitalization rates between the two age groups. Patients with EOED presented with significantly shorter duration of symptoms, and lower rates of secondary amenorrhea. More patients with EOED required phosphate supplementation compared to those in older age group.

Conclusion: Despite having a shorter duration of illness, Asian children with EOED had similar percentage weight loss and rates of admission due to malnutrition as those in older Asian adolescent patients. This study underlined the severity of EOEDs and the need for early recognition and medical assessment.

Keywords: Asian; adolescent; child; eating disorder; feeding eating disorder child.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 651. (2015). Menstruation in girls and adolescents: Using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 126(6), e143-e146. https://doi.org/10.1097/aog.0000000000001215
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). Arlington, VA: Author.
    1. De Filippo, E., Marra, M., Alfinito, F., Di Guglielmo, M. L., Majorano, P., Cerciello, G., … Pasanisi, F. (2016). Hematological complications in anorexia nervosa. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(11), 1305-1308. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.115
    1. Fleming, S., Thompson, M., Stevens, R., Heneghan, C., Pluddemann, A., Maconochie, I., … Mant, D. (2011). Normal ranges of heart rate and respiratory rate in children from birth to 18 years of age: A systematic review of observational studies. Lancet, 377(9770), 1011-1018. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(10)62226-x
    1. Golden, N. H., Katzman, D. K., Kreipe, R. E., Stevens, S. L., Sawyer, S. M., Rees, J., … Rome, E. S. (2003). Eating disorders in adolescents: Position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 33(6), 496-503.

LinkOut - more resources