Eating behaviour of children 1.5-3.5 years born preterm: Parents' perceptions

Objective: To investigate parents' perceptions of the eating behaviour of toddlers born preterm. Methods: A mailed, self-administered questionnaire was sent to parents of infants born between July 1994 and July 1996 with gestational ages less than 32 weeks who had been admitted to the Neonatal Unit at Flinders Medical Centre. Results: Responses were received for 95 subjects (response rate 70%) with a mean+/-SD gestational age of 29.2+/-2.1 weeks, birthweight of 1243+/-296 g and median corrected age of 134 weeks (range 84-185 weeks) at the time of study. Seventy-eight per cent of parents were concerned about the quality of food intake and 45% wished to change their child's eating behaviour. Although only 20% of parents identified their toddlers as being fussy eaters, food refusal was reported by 58% of respondents and 51% and 69% used food rewards or coaxing, respectively, to encourage intake. Parents of toddlers who had received home gavage feeding (n=5) or had a respiratory or neurological disability (n=16), reported poorer feeding indicators. Conclusions: Programmes providing information on normal toddler eating behaviour and strategies to promote positive feeding practices may reassure parents and promote development of food preferences and eating behaviours consistent with long-term healthy eating habits. Special emphasis should be placed on children with a disability or children who have received home gavage feeding.