Screening tools and assessment for feeding problems in infants and children from birth to 7 years: A review

Feeding problems are among the most common issues in infancy and childhood. It’s essential to investigate and identify these problems in early childhood because early detection can lead to early treatment of these problems. The present study intends to provide a comprehensive review of screening tools and assessment for feeding problems in infants and children.

The information was obtained through PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, Google scholar, and Iranian databases from 1993 to 2020. Based on the keywords used, 50 related articles were obtained. Then, 18 articles were selected based on the purpose of this study.

In total, 18 tools were obtained. The 3 tools were related to screening for feeding problems, and the rest were related to assessing feeding problems in infants and children. Also, among these tools, 5 tools could be used from birth, and the rest could be used from older ages, about 6 months onwards. Of these tools, 3 tools are completed by an assessor or therapist, and the rest by a parent or caregiver. 5 tools, in addition to examining children's nutritional issues, also assess parents' feelings and reactions to their child's feeding problems. Also, the validity and reliability of these 18 tools were examined.

There are a variety of standard tools for screening and assessing infant and child feeding problems in English. The results of this review study, while introducing these tools to therapists, can lead to their rapid access to these tools.