Eating habits and attitudes among mothers of children with feeding disorders

Feeding disturbances in young children are common.1 Furthermore, eating disorders are a substantial source of psychiatric morbidity among women of childbearing age.2 There has been no published research examining whether feeding disturbances of clinical severity in children are related to abnormal eating habits and attitudes among their mothers—though there is evidence that parents with eating disorders can adversely influence their young children's development, including feeding.3 If there were such a relation it would have important implications for the management of such children. Over 12 months the mothers of all children with ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision)4 diagnoses of a feeding disorder who were referred to local child psychiatric clinics covering one geographical area were identified (n=32). ICD-10 criteria require that a feeding disorder in infancy or …