Early years nutrition
The Child Feeding Guide: a helpful resource for families who are worried about children’s fussy eating
Dr Emma Haycraft
Dr Gemma Witcomb
Dr Claire Farrow
Emma is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Loughborough University. Her research focuses on parent-child interactions around feeding/eating. She is a co-developer of The Child Feeding Guide. Gemma is a Research and Teaching Fellow at Loughborough University. She is a co-developer of The Child Feeding Guide. Her focus is on translating research into tangible resources to aid breastfeeding, fussy eating, and clinical eating problems. Claire is a Senior Lecturer at Aston University. Claire is interested in the factors that influence child eating behaviour and is a co-developer of The Child Feeding Guide.
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Fussy eating is prevalent in young children with at least 40 to 50 percent of parents reporting that their child is fussy or eats a limited diet (1). Although commonplace, particularly in children aged 19 to 24 months (2), fussy or difficult eating behaviours are significant as they often persist over time (3). How this fussiness is managed can affect whether children outgrow it, or if it will continue as they get older, which is why parents and caregivers have such a vital role in helping children to develop healthy eating habits. Furthermore, a poor diet in childhood can predict a poor diet in adulthood and is associated with obesity and a range of preventable diseases, such as diabetes and cancer (4). While the medical profession makes recommendations regarding the benefits of breastfeeding and the introduction of solid foods, a review of national and international feeding guidelines has suggested that many issues known to be important in establishing healthy feeding practices and diet in young children are not communicated to parents or caregivers at all, or only in very minimal detail. There is also an absence of any tangible practical advice about child feeding, particularly once weaning has occurred (5). Our own research has confirmed that many parents feel that the available resources about feeding young children and promoting a healthy diet are ‘too basic’, with parents often searching for information independently (6). To address the reported lack of information and support available for parents surrounding fussy eating, we developed The Child Feeding Guide which is available as a website and free mobile app for iPhones/iPads and Android phones. Based on 25 years of collective research, The Child Feeding Guide
NHDmag.com March 2015 - Issue 102
provides evidence-based information and practical support for anyone who is concerned about children’s eating behaviours. Although it is directed at parents and caregivers (henceforth referred to as ‘parents’), it is also a useful resource for health professionals to use and disseminate to the families that they work with. The guide explains the science behind children’s eating behaviours, allowing parents to assess and monitor their own and their child’s responses around mealtimes and food. It also provides strategies to address fussiness in a positive way. The Child Feeding Guide describes the five most common feeding pitfalls that families encounter. It explains what they are, why they occur and what parents can do to avoid them. Three of these pitfalls are summarised below. Details about the other two pitfalls (parental use of restriction and children’s unhealthy food preferences) can be found by visiting the website: www.childfeedingguide.co.uk. 1. Food refusal A common child eating behaviour which parents can find worrying, is food refusal. At around 18 to 24 months, many children go through a phase known as ‘food neophobia’, where they become wary of new foods or of foods that they previously liked (7). This phase often manifests as children being fussy and many parents are unsure how to respond to this. Research has indicated
