Study to explore care access for child feeding disorders

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine seek caregivers of children with feeding challenges for a study to find out how families can get the right feeding support services. 

For some children, food pickiness isn’t a phase, nor an act of stubbornness. Some suffer from pediatric feeding disorders: not eating or drinking enough food or liquid, or enough variety, to grow and meet nutritional needs.

Feeding disorders are different from temporary, age-appropriate, selective eating — say, a toddler who has no use for broccoli, and instead prefers to eat goldfish crackers at every meal. Typical pickiness gets better with time and with repeated exposure to foods.

“For a kid with a feeding disorder, their pickiness rarely improves on its own. It might start with refusal and escalate to more severe reactions like crying and throwing food,” such that meals can become everyday family stressors, said study leader Dr. Britt St. John. She is an occupational therapist and assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. 

“These children also continually drop foods, so a kid might eat 75 different foods as a 1-year-old, and over time they’re down to maybe 10 or 12 foods they’ll eat consistently,” she said. “We worry about nutrition when we hear parents say, ‘I haven’t gotten them to eat any fruit in a year’ or ‘We lost milk, and that was their primary protein because they don’t eat meat.’”

A pediatric feeding disorder can be a stand-alone diagnosis, although children with autism are five times more likely to have such feeding challenges. They’re also common in kids with ADHD, developmental delays or genetic syndromes. 

St. John said early intervention therapy is likely to help, but it’s surprisingly hard to obtain. For the study, she wants to learn how families find and access feeding interventions, common barriers to care, and how long children wait for services.

“It's really clear that there are interventions that work, but families often spend years on waitlists,” she said. “How do we accelerate their access and get them those services faster?”

Who can enroll in the Feeding Care-Pathway Study?

• Adult caregivers who have searched for interventions with their child’s feeding challenges within the last three years.
• Participants who live in Washington state.

What does participation involve?

• One 60- to 90-minute virtual interview (Spanish interpretation may be available).
• A $100 stipend will be provided.

For details: The researchers aim to interview 40 families over the next year. If you or someone you know cares for a child with feeding challenges and might be eligible, email St. John at bstjohn@uw.edu or visit the study website.

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