Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the differences among three subtypes of feeding disorders (FD), defined through the criteria of the DC:0-3R: "Infantile Anorexia" (IA), "Feeding Disorder Associated with Insults to the Gastrointestinal Tract" (FDIGT), and "Sensory Food Aversions" (SFA), by exploring mother-child interactions during feeding, children's temperament and emotional-adaptive functioning, and mothers' psychological profile and eating attitudes.
Method: The sample consisted of 146 Italian mother-child pairs, of which 51 children with IA, 47 children with FDIGT, and 48 mothers and their children with SFA. All dyads were videotaped during feeding; mothers completed questionnaires assessing their psychological profiles and eating attitudes, as well as their children's temperament and emotional/behavioral functioning.
Results: Analyses revealed significant differences between the diagnostic groups of FD in relation to mother-child interactions during feeding, children's temperament and emotional-adaptive functioning, and mothers' psychological profile and eating attitudes.
Discussion: Both interactional and individual variables may contribute differently to specific FD and outcomes during childhood. Definitions by FD subtypes, using operational diagnostic criteria, and the assessment of mother-child interactions are relevant to target interventions strategies to treat specific disorders.
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