Early feeding problems in an affluent society. IV. Impact on growth up to two years of age.

A study was undertaken to investigate growth in children with different types of early feeding problems without any obvious medical explanation. Altogether 42 children were studied and followed up to the age of two years. Twenty-five children refused to eat (RTE), nine had colic, seven had vomiting and one child displayed hyperirritability at mealtimes. Comparisons were made with controls matched for sex, age and residential area. Attained weight and length were measured frequently; rates of gain were calculated and the growth variables were transformed to standard deviation scores (SD scores). After the onset of the symptoms the SD scores of attained weight and length decreased significantly in the children with RTE and in those with vomiting (p less than 0.05), and the rate of weight gain was significantly lower in the RTE group than in the control group (p less than 0.001). At two years of age the children with vomiting had recovered and showed a complete catch-up growth, while the RTE group had attained significantly lower SD scores of attained weight (p less than 0.001) and length (p less than 0.001) than the control group. It was found that the risk of growth impairment was greatest in children who refused all food or all food except breast milk.