The following is a summary of “Clinical Correlates and Prevalence of Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Wenzell et al.
The objective of this study was to explore the clinical correlates and prevalence of food selectivity (FS) – characterized by a self-restricted diet and reluctance to try new foods – among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as assessed within a general outpatient autism clinic setting. Employing a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach, comprising assessments conducted by a pediatric nurse practitioner, psychologist, and dietitian, medical and psychosocial histories, as well as dietary habits, were meticulously evaluated in a cohort of 103 children diagnosed with ASD, with a mean age of 5.8 ± 2.2 years and a range of 2-10 years.
Parents provided ratings of their child’s mealtime behavior utilizing the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) and reported disruptive behaviors through the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Additionally, height and weight measurements were collected to assess anthropometric parameters. Children were categorized into FS and no FS groups based on parent-reported dietary intake and mealtime behavior, with dietary recall utilized to record intake percentages below 80%. Logistic regression and multivariable modeling were employed to investigate clinical correlates associated with FS. The findings revealed that 45.6% of children (n=47) were classified as having FS, while 54.4% (n=56) were categorized as no FS. Upon adjusting for potential confounding variables, the odds of FS were found to increase significantly by 1.91 for every half-standard deviation increase in BAMBI total score (95% CI: 1.38, 2.64, p<.001) and by 1.35 for every half-standard deviation increase in ABC Hyperactivity/Noncompliance (95% CI: 1.05, 1.74, p=.020).
Notably, no discernible differences were observed between the FS and no FS groups concerning anthropometric measurements or nutritional intake. In conclusion, FS in children with ASD was strongly associated with heightened severity of disruptive mealtime behaviors and hyperactivity/noncompliance, while no significant correlations were identified with anthropometric parameters or dietary intake, emphasizing the complex interplay of behavioral factors in influencing feeding patterns among children with ASD.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347624001070