Background
Feeding involves an interaction between the child and his caregivers. Caregivers’ feeding styles may contribute to feeding difficulties in children.

Objective
To determine feeding styles in caregivers of children being seen at a multidisciplinary feeding clinic.  

Methods
Caregivers were asked to complete two validated questionnaires; the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSA) and the Behavioural Pediatrics Feeding Assessment (BPFA).

Results
Parents of 61 children (40 males) seen from January 2016 to July 2018 completed both questionnaires. Median age of the child at clinic presentation was 41 (range 4-161) months. 
Based on the BPFA, 46 parents (75.0%) identified high frequency of abnormal feeding behaviours in their children, with a similar number (n=45, 73.3%) perceiving their child’s feeding behaviours as highly problematic. 
11.5% of parents would always or almost always force-feed their child. 19.7% would always or almost always use threats. 52.5% always or almost always have to coax their child to eat.
Based on the CFSQ, 31.1% (n=19) adopted an indulgent parenting style, 29.5% (n=18) had an authoritarian style and a similar number were authoritative (19.7%, n=12) or uninvolved (19.7%).   

Conclusion
The authoritative feeding style is the most encouraged parenting style. In our patient cohort, only a fifth of parents were using this feeding style to deal with their child’s feeding issues. This would be an important consideration for healthcare professionals managing children with feeding difficulties. Time should also be spent assessing caregiver feeding style and helping caregivers adopt a more appropriate feeding style in dealing with their child’s feeding behaviours.

PARENTAL FEEDING STYLES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN’S FEEDING BEHAVIOUR