title: The effectiveness of risperidone in the treatment of three children with feeding disorders.
abstract: Children with histories of extensive medical interventions in early childhood, especially those involving the gastrointestinal tract, are at-risk for residual feeding problems long after the medical issues have resolved. This case series describes the inpatient multidisciplinary treatment of 3 consecutive preadolescent children (ages 9, 8, and 7 years) admitted to our rehabilitation facility. Each child was admitted with a severe feeding disorder and histories of failure-to-thrive (FTT) that had required enteral nutritional interventions. Each child also had comorbid anxiety and mood symptoms. The addition of risperidone to behavioral and psychopharmacologic treatments was observed to significantly increase oral intake and accelerate weight gain. In 2 of 3 patients, assistive feeding interventions were successfully discontinued; and in a 3rd patient, enteral nutritional support was reduced by 74%. These cases suggest that risperidone may be a safe and effective adjunctive treatment, when behavioral feeding therapy is not sufficiently successful for children who have chronic and complicated medical and psychiatric presentations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Services, St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, Bayside, New York 11360, USA. pbergwrgross@stmaryskids.org
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berger-Gross
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Coletti
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirschkorn
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Terranova
authors.forename: Edwin F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Simpser
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018967:Risperidone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone