Physiological regulation and infantile anorexia: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether infantile anorexia is associated with physiological dysregulation.


METHODS
This study included eight toddlers with infantile anorexia and eight healthy eaters matched for age, race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Physiological measures of heart period and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were assessed across three different situations: mother-toddler interaction, toddler-stranger interaction, and toddler left alone with a toy while mother and stranger talked to each other at the other side of the room.


RESULTS
Across all three situations, toddlers with infantile anorexia showed significantly shorter heart periods (i.e., faster heart rates) than controls (p <.05). In addition, as social demand decreased from episode 2 to episode 3, control toddlers exhibited an increase in respiratory sinus arrhythmia, whereas toddlers with infantile anorexia showed a decrease in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (p <.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Toddlers with infantile anorexia showed consistently shorter heart periods and were less adaptive in their physiological regulation than controls. Such physiological dysregulation may constitute a tendency for less optimal internal homeostatic regulation of feeding in toddlers with infantile anorexia.
Chatoor
Irene
I
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. Ichatoor@cnmc.org
Ganiban
Jody
J
Surles
Jaclyn
J
Doussard-Roosevelt
Jane
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000855:Anorexia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012931:Social Environment; D013694:Temperament