"I've got to fix this": Mothers' challenges when experiencing feeding difficulty in their autistic children during infancy.

This study interviewed 24 mothers about feeding problems they had with their babies who were later diagnosed with autism. Mothers faced three main challenges: actual feeding difficulties, emotional stress from these problems, and pressure to feed their baby properly. The researchers found that mothers need much more support during this time, including help from doctors, mental health professionals, and feeding specialists. Early support could reduce the stress and burden on families dealing with feeding challenges.

This qualitative study explored 24 mothers' recollections of feeding difficulties experienced during the first year of life with infants later diagnosed with autism. Using reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, researchers identified three key themes: Challenges of Feeding, Emotional Toll of Feeding, and Pressure to Feed the Infant. Contributing factors included time constraints, physical and emotional causes, lack of feeding support, and absence of autism diagnosis during infancy. The study highlights the substantial emotional and caregiving strain mothers experience when managing early feeding challenges, emphasizing the critical need for early identification and comprehensive support including emotional, informational, and practical assistance from primary care, mental health services, community programs, and lactation specialists.

Early identification of feeding difficulties is critical. Comprehensive support systems needed including primary care, mental health services, community programs, and lactation specialists. Emotional, informational, and practical support should be provided to mothers experiencing early feeding challenges with infants later diagnosed with autism.

Small sample size of 24 participants. Retrospective recall design may introduce memory bias. Qualitative design limits generalizability. No comparison group included. Specific details about feeding challenges and timeframes not clearly described in abstract.

Mothers of infants often experience heightened stress while establishing feeding habits and routines. When those routines are complicated by feeding challenges later recognized as associated with autism, the emotional and caregiving strain can be substantial. While the challenges faced by mothers of older autistic children with feeding difficulties are well documented, less is known about mothers' experiences of feeding challenges that occurred during their child's first year of life, prior to autism diagnosis. Using a qualitative descriptive design, this study explored mothers' recollections of managing feeding difficulties in infants later diagnosed with autism, to identify areas where additional support may be needed.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 mothers of autistic children aged 2-12 years who reported feeding difficulties during the first year of life. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: Challenges of Feeding, Emotional Toll of Feeding, and Pressure to Feed the Infant. Factors that contributed to mothers' challenges included time, physical contributors, emotional causes, lack of feeding support, the need to feed their infant effectively, and an absence of autism diagnosis at birth. There is a critical need to identify feeding difficulties early and provide mothers with emotional, informational, and practical support to reduce the burden of managing these feeding challenges.

Primary care, mental health care, community-based services, and lactation support all play a critical role in supporting mothers and their autistic children who experience feeding difficulty during infancy.