The purpose of this study was to examine whether specific problem feeding behaviors exhibited by infants with post-traumatic feeding disorders (PTFD) predict treatment outcome. In this case series, 24 infants aged 7 weeks to 34 months received a three-component intervention for the treatment of their PTFD. The three components of the interventions included (1) physiological and environmental changes to regularize hunger-satiety cycles and promote good eating habits and routines; (2) nutritional monitoring; and (3) behavior therapy (flooding). Infants with PTFD who exhibited passive refusal to swallow food placed in their mouths and did not chew/suck/move food placed in their mouths for more than 5 sec were significantly less likely to respond to treatment, compared to infants with PTFD who did not exhibit these behaviors. Further, compared with infants with PTFD who responded to treatment, more infants with PTFD who did not respond had anatomical/mechanical problems of their upper airway such as tracheoesophageal fistula or lung disease such as bronchopulmonary dysplagia. The findings have direct implications for the assessment and treatment of PTFD in infancy.
RESUMEN: El Propo ´sito de este estudio fue el de examinar si algunos problemas especı ´ficos en las conductas de alimentacio ´n presentadas por infantes con trastornos de alimentacio ´n post-trauma ´ticos (PTFD), predicen el resultadp del tratamiento. En esta serie de casos, 24 infantes de edad entre los 7 y los 34 meses fueron objeto de una intervencio ´n de 3 componentes para el tratamiento de su trastorno de alimentacio ´n post-trauma ´tico (PTFD). Los tres componentes de la intervencio ´n fueron: 1) cambios fisiolo ´gicos y ambientales para regularizar los ciclos de saciedad del hambre y promover buenos ha ´bitos y rutinas de alimentacio ´n; 2) control nutricional; y 3) terapia de conducta. Los infantes con trastornos posttraumt ´icos (PTFD) que presentaron un rechazo pasivo a tragarse la comida puesta en sus bocas, y ni
We thank the families who participated in this study.