The feeding relationship

Abstract

The feeding relationship is the complex of interactions that takes place between parent and child as they engage in food selection, ingestion, and regulation behaviors. Successful feeding demands a caretaker who trusts and depends on information coming from the child about timing, amount, preference, pacing, and eating capability. An appropriate feeding relationship supports a child's developmental tasks and helps the child develop positive attitudes about self and the world. It helps him/her learn to discriminate feeding cues and respond appropriately to them. It enhances the ability to consume a nutritionally adequate diet and to regulate appropriately the quantity eaten. The feeding relationship is characteristic of the overall parent-child relationship. Distortions that show up in feeding are likely to appear in other aspects of the interaction. Dietitians who intervene with feeding must be aware of the implications for the relationship. A primary objective with any feeding intervention is to increase or protect the parents' sensitivity to the child's feeding cues. If the feeding relationship is disrupted, the dietitian should consider a referral for psychosocial evaluation.