الفهرس 
Feeding Problems In ChildrenOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present study was carried out in Riyadh city in KSA. Subjects included were 500 Egyptian preschool children with all age range between 2 to 5 years. Each child was subjected to full history taking laying stress on: Father’s education and occupation, mother’s education and occupation and family income. History of medical diseases with special emphasis on: GI troubles, parasitic infestation, and food allergy. Each child was subjected to 24 hours dietary recall. The present study included a questionnaire to assess the dietary state of studied children .
Anthropometric measurements were carried out as follows; weight for age, height for age, occipitofrontal circumference, mid arm circumference, skin fold thickness.
The present study showed that more than half of studied children were females. Most children have average social class. Most of fathers and mothers had high educational level. All fathers were working and more than half of mothers were housewives. Most of studied children were breast fed during the first 6 months, then mixed feeding and near half of them had appropriate weaning between 4 to 6 months.
The result of the study revealed that about one third(35.2%) of mothers of studied children considered feeding of their children was small(not enough) while only 5.6% considered it excessive.
Vomiting was the most frequent GI trouble followed by chocking, gagging lastly constipation. Parasitic infestations were present in 10.2% of the studied children specially entropiasis then ascariasis. Food allergy was reported by 13% of mothers of the studied children. The most frequent allergens accused were strawberry, fish, peanuts, carrots, mango, banana, milk and the least common allergens were chocolate and eggs.
The most frequent sources of dietary animal protein were milk , eggs , Meat and the least type of animal protein ingested was fish. Fruits and vegetables were always ingested by 27.6% and frequently ingested by 42.4% of the studied children.
Our results revealed that dietary intakes as percentage of Required Dietary Allowance were protein (mean=81%), iron (mean=76%) Calories (mean=65.9%), and Vitamin D (13.2%).
Underweight (weight below the 5th centile for age) was present in 0.2% of studied children, stunting (height below the 5th centile for age) was present in 1.4% of studied children, and wasting (weight below the 5th centile of weight for height) was present in 2% of studied children .
Feeding problems were present among most of studied children(84.8%) with a male sex predominance. The most common problems present among the studied children were junk food eating, little food, picky eating, and leaving table. Less common feeding problems were slow eating, crying during feeding, DROPping food, spitting out, playing with food, fast eating and pushing food away. Then the least common feeding problems were; not chewing, turning away , refusing to swallow, taking food from others, messy eating, not opening mouth, rumination then much food eating.
The most common techniques used by mothers to help children to eat were to ignore, to praise, to offer reward, to threaten, to change meal schedule, less common techniques were to coax , to distract with toys, to force food, to change food offered, to use TV, to mini meal, to spank, and the least common techniques were to limit food, then send to room.
High frequency of feeding problems were revealed among children:
a) who had parasitic infestation specially ascaris and ankylestoma.
b) with big family size .
c) with low mean percentage of total caloric intake than in those with high total caloric intake .
d) with these techniques used by mothers to help her child to eat as mini meals, ignore and send to room.
e) whose mother`s concern about their feeding was small .
f) who received absolute breast feeding in the first 6 months when compared to those received mixed feeding and artificial feeding .
g) with average social class when compared to above average
h) with body mass index >95th percentile when compared to children with body mass index between (50-95th) and children <5th and less common in children with body mass index between (5-50th) .
Our results also revealed a significant positive correlation between caloric intake and percentage of weight for height