title: In-depth mental health evaluation of a community sample of nonreferred infants with feeding difficulties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the clinical characteristics of feeding difficulties in 30 community (i.e., nonreferred) infants in the first 2 years of life, and their correlation with mother/child interactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  An "in depth" mental health evaluation of feeding difficulties, and the psychosocial functioning of the child in other areas. The mother-infant relationship and the feeding interactions were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four "groups" were identified. (1) Young infant with difficulties in regulating states and sucking. (2) Older infant with difficulties in self-regulation, focusing, hyper-alert, and with aversion to feeding. (3) Older infants hypersensitive to stimuli (taste, odor) and with difficulties in chewing. (4) Group of with varied and unique feeding problems (pica, rumination).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feeding problems tend to have patterns according to the age of the baby in a nonreferred sample. They are not associated with an altered parent-infant relationship nor poor feeding technique. Parents often adapt successfully to the uniqueness of the baby to maintain weight gain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine and Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA. martin.maldonado@tmcmed.org
authors.forename: J Martin
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Duran
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonagy
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Helmig
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Millhuff
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: Libby
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Gregg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: VanSickle
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D011584:Psychology