Unusual eating habits linked to autism in children

Atypical eating behaviors could be a sign that a child should be screened for autism, a new study from Penn State College of Medicine has revealed.

According to the research, unusual eating behaviors were present in 70 percent of children with autism, which is 15 times more common than in neurotypical children.

The unusual eating behaviors include: severely limited food preferences, hypersensitivity to food textures or temperatures, and pocketing food without swallowing.

These behaviors, according to the led researcher Professor Susan Mayes, are present in many 1-year-olds with autism and could signal to doctors and parents that a child may have autism.

“If a primary care provider hears about these behaviors from parents, they should consider referring the child for an autism screening,” Mayes said.

However, there is a distinct difference between worrisome eating behaviors and the typical picky eating habits of young children. Most children without special needs will slowly add foods to their diets during the course of development, but children with autism spectrum disorders, without intervention, will often remain selective eaters.

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Mayes said that many children with autism eat a narrow diet consisting primarily of grain products, like pasta and bread, and chicken nuggets. She said that because children with autism have sensory hypersensitivities and dislike change, they may not want to try new foods and will be sensitive to certain textures. They often eat only foods of a particular brand, color or shape.

The researchers evaluated the eating behaviors described in parent interviews of more than 2,000 children from two studies. The scientists then investigated the difference in the frequency of unusual eating behaviors between typical children and those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disorders.

The study data found that atypical eating behaviors may help diagnostically distinguish autism from other disorders. Even though children from both groups have unusual eating habits, they are seven times more common in autism than in other disorders.

“This study provided further evidence that these unusual feeding behaviors are the rule and not the exception for children with autism,” noted Keith Williams, director of the Feeding Program at Penn State Children’s Hospital.

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