Infantile Anorexia, A Feeding Disorder

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To begin with, infantile anorexia refers to a particular feeding disorder, which mostly develops between the 6th month of a child’s life and the 3rd year (Merwin, 2010). Its main characteristics include refusal to feed, refusal to consume sufficient quantities, inability of regulating fullness and hunger, more interest in surroundings than eating, distractibility, as well as growth deficiency. Notably, feeding disorders among infants, as well as toddlers have nowadays become more common as the assessment and diagnostic criteria are specialized. However, only few scholars have carried out longitudinal research studies to study specific disorders in details, including the investigations on the effectiveness and success of treatment strategies.

As an exemplar, infantile anorexia represents one of the eating childhood disorders that have not received sufficient attention from the scholars. Perhaps, in order to understand the intricacies of the disorder, it is imperative to get to know how it develops, manifests, as well as its treatment. In this way, someone is able to comprehend more details about the disorder, and possibly purpose to conduct a study that can aid in shedding more light on it and adding value to its current preventive and management strategies. Indeed, if eating disorders are prevented, controlled or treated properly, children will not be at risk of developing certain complications secondary to the deficiencies (Jacobovits, 2011).

Ideally, research indicates that when young children have some form of nutrition deficiency, they may end up having some serious long-term complications. In the recent past, several researchers have realized that if the serious complications in the health of a child secondary to nutriti...

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...s national health system , 1-3. Retrieved from http://parenting.childrensnational.org/2012/12/feeding-disorders- infantile-anorexia.html

Fitzgerald et al. (2010). Infancy in times of transition. Infant mental health journal , 1-301. Retrieved from http://www.waimh.org/files/IMHJ/Infant_Mental_Health_Journal_Suppl_Vol31_Issue3.p df

Jacobovits, T. (2011). Growth deficits and nutrient intake of infants and toddlers with infantile anorexia and sensory food aversions at children's national medical center in Washington DC. 1-95. Retrieved from http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/11579/1/Jacobovits_umd_0117N_12229.pdf

Merwin, S. (2010). Feeding disorders of infants and toddlers: A follow-up to the treatment of infantile anorexia. 1-28. Retrieved from http://aladinrc.wrlc.org/bitstream/handle/1961/9378/Merwin,%20Stephanie%20- %20Spring%20%2710.pdf?sequence=1

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