Aim: Understanding the association between pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and age of presentation is limited. We aimed to investigate factors associated with PFD among different age groups.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of infants and toddlers diagnosed with PFD, according to the World Health Organization-based definition. We compared children aged 1-12 months to those aged 13-72 months.
Results: Included were 253 children with PFD (median [interquartile range] age 16.4 [9.5-33] months at diagnosis, 56% boys). Significantly more children in the younger age group were girls (52.6% vs. 34.4%, respectively, p = .03) and preterm (25% vs. 14%, p = .03). They had more hospitalizations (34% vs. 23%, p = .03) and needed more prescription medications (36% vs. 17%, p < .01). Additionally, disturbances in oral intake were primarily linked to feeding skills dysfunction in the younger group and nutritional dysfunction in the older group (39.6% vs. 23.7% and 55% vs. 38%, respectively, p = .02).
Conclusions: Infants under 1 year old with PFD represent a distinct patient group with unique characteristics and outcomes. The age of presentation plays a significant role in children with PFD, necessitating tailored treatment strategies.
Keywords: age; pediatric feeding disorder.
© 2024 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.