Development and Assessment of iEAT for Use by Parents in the Home Setting

The purpose of the current study is to further develop the integrated Eating Aversion Treatment (iEAT) manual and address the unmet needs of many children with chronic food refusal by providing a technology-based treatment that makes it easy for parents to understand how to duplicate the models of institutional care. The study seeks to expand upon this treatment by introducing the manual and procedures in an electronic form to be implemented by caregivers in a home environment.

The study team aims to enroll 20 participants with chronic food refusal and formula or feeding tube dependence. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the iEAT manual intervention with the technology supported manual or a control group (10 participants per group). The intervention with the iEAT manual will involve 10 biweekly outpatient appointments of about 45 minutes in length. Target behaviors will be assessed during each treatment meal. Participants will be assessed pre-treatment and at a one month follow-up to assess long term effects. Parents in the control group will provide a food diary once a month, for 5 months. Those assigned to the control group will be able to cross-over to receive the iEAT treatment manual following completion of post-study measures. Screening, collecting data for outcomes measures, and the intervention will be conducted at the each participant's home. Data will be collected on parent compliance with the treatment manual and child food acceptance, nutritional intake, and refusal behaviors.