Tools Available To Screen For Child Feeding Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

Introduction: The aim of this systematic review is to identify existing pediatric feeding screening tools that have been shown to be valid and reliable in identifying feeding dysfunction in children. Method: A database search produced 5862 relevant articles to be screened based on pre-determined inclusion/ exclusion criteria. After full text review of 183 articles, 64 articles were included in the review. Results: Forty-four studies detailed development and validation of unique feeding screening tools for the pediatric population. The remaining twenty studies were validations studies of already developed screening tools. Discussion: Multiple screening tools identified were effective in determining feeding dysfunction in children. Several tools employed excellent techniques to measure reliability and validity for diverse pediatric populations. Careful consideration of the tools listed in this review will help practitioners determine the best method for feeding screening in their facility.