While picky eaters are hardly rare and it’s usually a passing phase, children who refuse whole food groups or limit themselves to only three to four types of food may actually have a pediatric feeding disorder that is keeping them from getting the nutrition they need, reports Health Day.
According to studies, up to ten percent of infants and children may actually have a pediatric feeding disorder: a serious condition that can actually affect a child’s physical and mental development.
Signs that your picky eater may actually have a more pronounced problem include: sudden changes in eating habits; disruptive behavior during meals; bouts of choking or coughing while eating; an unexplained lack of energy; the inability to eat foods with complex textures; and delayed self-feeding.
Children with the disorder are so choosy in their foods that they may not be getting all the nutrients and calories necessary for good health. Early detection is important because the condition can become more pronounced the longer it goes untreated.
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