Feeding Challenges in Young Children Toward a Best Practices Model

Young children often encounter feeding challenges, such as food refusal, an inability to meet nutritional needs, and limited skills to self-feed. Further, overall development can be adversely affected when an infant or a toddler has difficulties with intake of fluid and solid foods. A variety of strategies are available to address these challenges and, collectively, inform a best practices model. Importantly, all require a team approach as well as use of individually and developmentally appropriate techniques. There is a concomitant need to provide strategies that match child and family preferences. Finally, all feeding experiences and interactions should be pleasurable and should promote relationships between children and their parent(s) and caregiver(s). Implications for clinicians are also presented.