Abstract

Interview data from parents of 201 children under age 7 years with severe feeding and eating difficulties were analysed to describe features in the child's and parents' experiences that may have contributed to the development of the eating problem. Prematurity and low birth weight, distress during feeding in the first six months of life, and regular or frequent vomiting were common findings in the histories of the children. Aversive experiences during feeding may be the basis for early childhood eating difficulties.