The influence of food texture on feeding in children

Victoria Ashley Surette

doi:10.7273/000004621

Food texture influences child feeding through foods that parents decide to introduce to their children, when foods are introduced, and feeding practices used to encourage successful eating of food. This body of work presents four studies that explored the influence of food texture on child feeding, and the parent-child relationship during feeding of two groups of children, children typically developing (CTD), and children diagnosed with Down syndrome (CWDS), with/without food texture sensitivities. The first study explored food texture experiences of CTD and developed a food texture progression map to be used as a benchmark to compare food texture experiences of clinical populations. An increase in age influenced the type of food textures introduced, managed, and rejected among CTD. The second and third studies utilized video coding data from a texture acceptance home-use test of variously textured solid snack foods for both CWDS and CTD. Using a coding scheme, parent behaviours were captured during feeding of these two groups. The second study explored the parent-CWDS relationship during feeding with observations. Parents of CWDS used more supportive than controlling practices to encourage feeding. The third study explored the differences between survey responses to parent feeding behaviour questions and observed parent behaviours captured from the coding scheme for CWDS and CTD. Parents of CWDS reported using controlling behaviours more frequently than supportive behaviours, however coded observations were inconsistent with this survey report. Furthermore, the fourth study expanded on the captured behaviours from the coding scheme to propose a summarization of overall feeding experiences given to CWDS and CTD. Over 90% of parents from both groups provided their children with positive feeding experiences, using supportive practices more than controlling practices. These studies provided meaningful insight into the feeding environment and food texture experiences in child feeding. These studies also expanded upon TS and its influence on child feeding and parent feeding behaviours. Results from the present work conducted in this area may optimize successful feeding in young children, increase quality of life, and provide guidance to parents and practitioners of children with TS.

The influence of food texture on feeding in children

(1)