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Evaluation and Treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in Adolescents

  • Adolescent Medicine (M Goldstein and L Johnson, Section Editors)
  • Published:
  • volume 6, pages 107–113 (2018)
Current Pediatrics Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) was added to the psychiatric nomenclature in 2013. However, youth with ARFID often present first to medical—rather than psychiatric—settings, making its evaluation and treatment relevant to pediatricians.

Recent Findings

ARFID is defined by limited volume or variety of food intake motivated by sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences, or lack of interest in food or eating; and associated with medical, nutritional, and/or psychosocial impairment. It appears to be as common as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and can occur in individuals of all ages. ARFID is heterogeneous in presentation and may require both medical and psychological management.

Summary

Pediatricians should be aware of the diagnostic criteria for ARFID and the possibility that these patients may require medical intervention and referral for psychological treatment. The neurobiology underlying ARFID is unknown, and novel treatments are currently being tested.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St- Yawkey 6D, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Kathryn S. Brigham & Laurie D. Manzo

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Kathryn S. Brigham

  3. Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Laurie D. Manzo, Kamryn T. Eddy & Jennifer J. Thomas

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Kamryn T. Eddy & Jennifer J. Thomas

Authors
  1. Kathryn S. Brigham
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  2. Laurie D. Manzo
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  3. Kamryn T. Eddy
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  4. Jennifer J. Thomas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn S. Brigham.

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Conflict of Interest

Kathryn S. Brigham and Laurie D. Manzo each declare no potential conflicts of interest. Kamryn T. Eddy and Jennifer J. Thomas declare future book royalties from Cambridge University Press.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Kamryn T. Eddy and Jennifer J. Thomas are co-senior authors

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Adolescent Medicine

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Brigham, K.S., Manzo, L.D., Eddy, K.T. et al. Evaluation and Treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in Adolescents. Curr Pediatr Rep 6, 107–113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-018-0162-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-018-0162-y

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