Feeding problems reported by parents of young children with type 1 diabetes on insulin pump therapy and their associations with children's glycemic control

Primary caregivers of 31 young children (mean age = 5.0 ± 1.3 yr) completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was used as a surrogate marker for children's glycemic control. Results: Children had a mean HbA1c of 7.8 ± 0.64%. Mean CFQ - Restriction and Pressure to Eat scores were 3.1 ± 0.94 and 2.0 ± 0.88, respectively (range = 1-5). Mean BPFAS - Parent and Child scores were 16.0 ± 4.3 (range = 10-50) and 44.9 ± 9.3 (range = 25-125), respectively. Positive correlations were found between children's HbA1c levels and caregivers' reporting of frequency of child mealtime behavior problems. Conclusions: Caregivers of young children on pump therapy report relatively low rates of mealtime behavior problems. However, correlations with children's HbA1c suggest that parent-child mealtime behaviors continue to relate to children's health outcomes. Research is needed to determine if changing mealtime interactions can improve children's glycemic control; items from the BPFAS and CFQ can offer targets to guide interventions.