Caregiver stress and outcomes of children with pediatric feeding disorders treated in an intensive interdisciplinary...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Child Psychology
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Feeding disorders affect numerous children, leading to significant caregiver stress.
• Existing interventions vary in intensity and scope, with limited research on intensive, interdisciplinary approaches.
• Children with feeding disorders often present with diverse needs, including tube dependence, liquid dependence, or food selectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive interdisciplinary feeding program.
• To assess the program's impact on caregiver stress and child outcomes.
• To examine outcomes across different categories of feeding disorders.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 121 children with feeding disorders was categorized into tube-dependent, liquid-dependent, or food-selective groups.
• Caregiver stress, child mealtime behaviors, weight, and caloric intake were measured at admission and discharge.
• Repeated measures ANOVAs were employed to analyze pre- and post-treatment differences and variations across feeding categories.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in caregiver stress levels post-treatment.
• Child mealtime behaviors, weight gain, and caloric intake demonstrated significant positive changes.
• Treatment benefits were consistent across all feeding disorder categories.

Conclusions:

• An intensive interdisciplinary feeding program offers a viable approach for diverse pediatric feeding populations.
• The findings support the efficacy of this approach in concurrently improving child outcomes and reducing caregiver burden.
• This study highlights the value of a comprehensive, team-based strategy for managing complex feeding challenges.