Unpacking the Correlation Between Feeding Difficulties and Feeding or Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Feeding difficulties, ranging from picky eating to mealtime behaviour issues, can sometimes escalate into more severe feeding disorders if untreated. Feeding difficulties, such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and severe oral-motor dysfunctions, necessitate comprehensive management due to their profound impact on nutritional intake and overall health.

Feeding difficulties and pediatric feeding disorders represent a continuum of challenges that can significantly impact further growth, development, mental health, and quality of life. Psychiatric comorbidities, including anxiety, depression, and autism, often coexist with feeding and / or eating disorders, further complicating diagnosis and treatment.

This Research Topic aims to explore the multifaceted relationship between feeding difficulties and feeding disorders, examining their causes, trajectories, and effective treatment strategies.

The goals of this Research Topic are:

* To investigate the prevalence and describe the development and course of feeding difficulties / eating disorders, considering contributing factors and the influence of gender and age.
* To examine the psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors contributing to the progression from feeding difficulties to feeding disorders.
* To identify risk factors and markers, including psychiatric comorbidities and specific eating disorders, that may predict the transition from feeding difficulties to feeding disorders.
* To evaluate existing interventions and develop new strategies for early identification and treatment of at-risk children and adolescents.

Topic Editor Meeta Patel is the founder and Executive Director of Clinic 4 Kidz, a private clinic that treats children with ARFID. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: feeding disorders, picky eating, children mental health, psychology, psychiatry, development, anorexia, bulimia

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.