Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2025
A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
Early neurodevelopmental problems and risk for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in 4-7-year-old
Lisa Dinkler1,2, Kahoko Yasumitsu-Lovell1,2, Masamitsu Eitoku2
1Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden.
Insights
Early neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) predict avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in children. Monitoring NDPs in high-risk children is crucial for ARFID prevention.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Pediatric psychology
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) are overrepresented in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
- Previous studies linking ARFID and NDPs used limited, cross-sectional clinical data.
- This study utilizes prospective data from a non-clinical child cohort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the occurrence of early NDPs in children aged 4-7 with suspected ARFID.
- To determine the predictive value of early NDPs for ARFID development.
- To investigate neurodevelopmental trajectories in children with and without ARFID.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 3728 children (born 2011-2014) from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).
- NDPs assessed using parent-reports (ASQ-3, ESSENCE-Q) and clinical diagnoses from 0.5 to 3 years.
- ARFID screened using a new tool in children aged 4-7 years; logistic regressions analyzed associations.
Main Results:
- Children in the highest NDP risk percentiles had ~3x higher odds of suspected ARFID (3.1% absolute risk above 90th percentile).
- Early NDPs (excluding feeding problems) were more predictive of ARFID than feeding problems alone.
- Specific predictive NDPs included general development, communication, attention, social interaction, and sleep issues; trajectories diverged after age 1.
Conclusions:
- Findings confirm the link between NDPs and ARFID in a non-clinical population.
- Early feeding problems are common but rarely lead to ARFID; monitor closely in high-NDP-risk children.
- Early identification and monitoring of NDPs can aid in ARFID prevention strategies.
Background:
An overrepresentation of neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) has been observed in individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Previous studies on the association between ARFID and NDPs have been limited by cross-sectional data from clinical samples of small size. This study aimed to extend previous research by using prospectively collected data in a non-clinical child cohort. We examined the occurrence of early NDPs in 4-7-year-old children with suspected ARFID and how predictive early NDPs are of ARFID.
Methods:
Data were collected via parent-report a sub-sample of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) including 3728 children born 2011-2014 in Kochi prefecture. NDPs were assessed biannually between 0.5 and 3 years of age with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3, at age 2.5 years with the ESSENCE-Q, and at age 1 and 3 years via parent-reported clinical diagnoses. ARFID was identified cross-sectionally (at age 4-7 years) using a newly developed screening tool. Logistic regressions were used to test association of (1) a composite early NDP risk score, (2) specific early NDPs, and (3) neurodevelopmental trajectories over time with ARFID.
Results:
Children in the highest risk percentiles of the NDP risk score had roughly three times higher odds of having suspected ARFID; the absolute risk of later ARFID for children above the 90th percentile was 3.1%. Early NDPs (excluding early feeding problems) were more predictive of later ARFID than were early feeding problems. Specific NDPs predictive of ARFID were problems with general development, communication/language, attention/concentration, social interaction, and sleep. Neurodevelopmental trajectories of children with and without suspected ARFID started to divert after age 1 year.
Conclusions:
The results mirror the previously observed overrepresentation of NDPs in ARFID populations. In this non-clinical child cohort, early feeding problems were common and rarely developed into ARFID; however, our findings imply that they should be monitored closely in children with high NDP risk to prevent ARFID.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:30Regulation of Food Intake
01:23Binge Eating Disorders
01:29Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:14Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single...