Children with feeding difficulties have insufficient intake of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber

Purpose To determine the consumption of micronutrients and dietary fiber and prevalence of inadequacy in relation to the recommendations for age in children with feeding difficulties (FD) and predictive factors (related to FD) of dietary intake. Methods This retrospective observational study of medical records included 91 children diagnosed with FD, with age ranging from 1 to 13 years, without dietary supplementation or breast milk. Growth indicators were analyzed according to age criteria, and dietary micronutrient intake was evaluated based on age recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, adjusted for total caloric intake. For fiber consumption, the recommendations from American Health Foundation were used. Results There was a high rate of inadequate consumption of all evaluated micronutrients, with fiber, vitamin A, and calcium having the highest prevalence of inadequacy and iron with the lowest. The age groups that presented the most inadequate intake in both sexes were children aged 9–13 years. The use of distractions during meals, the number of family meals taken weekly, the volume of milk ingested, the style of parental care at meals, and the child’s autonomy at meals were predictive variables of children’s nutrient intake. Conclusion The prevalence of inadequate micronutrient and fiber intake among children with FD was high in both sexes, with a tendency to increase with age. Some characteristics of FD were predictive of nutrient intake in children. The results of this study indicate the nutritional risk in children with FD and the importance of reversing the condition as early as possible.