Eating disorders in children under 4 years of age with autism spectrum disorder: Description and determinants
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Background Eating disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are multifactorial and complex, and impair their quality of life. The link between eating difficulties and ASD is still controversial, and few studies have focused on very young children with ASD.Objectives Our objectives were: 1) to characterize the eating disorders of ASD children under 4 years; 2) to study the links between these eating disorders and the characteristics of the child (symptoms and severity of ASD, level of development).Methods 33 ASD children (18 months to 4 years) were included. Their developmental level was assessed by the Brunet-Lézine Revised test (BL-R) and characteristics of ASD by the Autism Diagnosis Interview-Revised (ADI-R). We used a new questionnaire on eating disorders of children between 9 months and 6 years of age that covered 4 dimensions: eating behavior, oro-motor skills, oral and bodily sensory characteristics, and parental impacts and strategies.Results 70 % of parents declared eating disorders in their child, with an early frequent onset beyond 12 months of age. These disorders caused significant parental suffering and worries about the future in two-thirds of parents, and more than half of the parents implemented strategies to handle them. We found two striking results: 1) No statistical link was observed between the severity of an eating disorder and the severity of ASD symptoms or the child's developmental level; 2) Children with better communication and socialization levels had more eating disorders.Conclusion These results show that eating disorders in our population are probably linked with the relational nature of the act of eating.
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Children with ASD frequently experience comorbid sleep disturbances, feeding and eating disorders, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation.
“In addition to motor symptoms, children with ASD frequently experience comorbid sleep disturbances [27,28], feeding and eating disorders (FEEDs) [29,30], and gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation [31].”
From The Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Toe Walking in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study in an Italian Pediatric Sample (2025) · cites this paper as [29]
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“In addition to motor symptoms, children with ASD frequently experience comorbid sleep disturbances [27,28], feeding and eating disorders (FEEDs) [29,30], and gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation [31].”
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- Authors
- Socie, C., Descamps, A., Thouvenin, B., Peigné, C. D. F., Abadie, V., & Ouss, L.
- Affiliations
- Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Ouss, Lisa
- Venue
- Archives de Pédiatrie
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-05
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 255-260
- ISSN
- 0929-693X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4409321189
- Cited by
- 3
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 2.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- orbi.uliege.be
- Licence
- Locations
- Archives de Pédiatrie (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- eating disorders, autism spectrum disorder, toddlers, young children, dietary habits, sensory properties, parental influence, parental coping strategies, developmental level, ASD severity
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires
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