Feeding Problems and Maternal Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

For mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mealtimes can be stressful. Up to 90% of children with ASD present with problems related to food selectivity and disruptive mealtime behavior. Researchers have associated parent behaviors with maintained maladaptive feeding behaviors in children. Studies have also shown a positive association between children's feeding problems and maternal concern for their children's health, suggesting maternal anxiety and negative feelings may contribute to feeding issues. However, most research and subsequent interventions focus primarily on children.

Cross-sectional data was gathered from sixty-four mothers of children aged 2-8 with ASD visiting a developmental/behavioral pediatric clinic in the Southeastern U.S. who completed the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS), assessing child feeding behavior and parent strategies for feeding problems, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), measuring anxiety currently (state) and as an enduring characteristic (trait).

Over 50% of mothers reported clinical difficulties with child feeding. Significant associations were found between child feeding behaviors and parent feelings/strategies related to child feeding. Maladaptive maternal feelings and strategies were also significantly related to both total anxiety (r = .299, p = .027) and trait anxiety (r = .368, p = .006). Although maternal anxiety explained significant variance in child feeding behavior, parent mealtime feeling/strategies were the strongest predictors of child feeding problems.

Maternal anxiety and maladaptive feeding strategies correlate with problematic child feeding behaviors, suggesting that maternal feelings and strategies may contribute to the development and maintenance of feeding behaviors in children with ASD. Treatments that address feeding problems in children with ASD may also need to address maternal behaviors.