Nutritional status and feeding problems in pediatric attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nutrition Science
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Children with ADHD often face feeding challenges, increasing their risk of nutrient deficiencies.
• Difficulty sitting through meals can impact a child's ability to consume adequate nutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the nutritional status and feeding problems of children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children.
• To identify the prevalence of undernutrition and feeding difficulties in children aged 4-12 with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• A comparative cross-sectional study involving 54 children with ADHD and 54 TD children.
• Data collected included sociodemographics, anthropometric measurements, and 3-day dietary intake.
• Feeding problems were assessed using the Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale.

Main Results:

• 11.1% of ADHD children exhibited wasting, and 5.6% showed stunting, compared to TD children.
• Over half of ADHD children had low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), indicating undernutrition.
• More than a third of ADHD children reported feeding problems, significantly correlated with lower body weight, BMI, and MUAC.

Conclusions:

• Nearly half of children with ADHD had suboptimal nutrition, a significantly higher rate than TD children.
• Feeding problems in ADHD children are linked to poorer nutritional status.
• Routine screening for nutritional status and feeding issues in ADHD children is recommended to mitigate adverse health outcomes.