Feeding disorder of infancy and early childhood

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A feeding disorder of infancy or early childhood is the failure of a young child to gain weight over time because he or she does not take in the proper amount of nutrients. However, no medical condition is causing the problem.

See also: Poor feeding in infants

Feeding disorders are diagnosed when the infant or young child appears malnourished and the problem is not caused by a medical condition (such as cleft palate, congenital heart disease, or long-term lung disease), or a disorder that causes mental retardation.

The cause of these disorders is often unknown, but they can result from a variety of factors such as poverty, dysfunctional child-caregiver interactions, or parental misinformation about appropriate diet to meet the child's needs.

Review Date: 08/02/2009
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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