Food Neophobia

I think my son has this, anyone know what kind of dr can test for this?

Food Neophobia

Fear of new foods? I don't believe there is a diagnostic test for neophobia; it would be diagnosed by looking at the symptoms.

I would think the pediatrician could "diagnose" it.

Re: Food Neophobia

ok but my sons therapist recommended for my son to get an Phycological evaluation

Re: Food Neophobia

Is it every food? Or textures? Etc

Food Neophobia

Could it be a sensory issue instead? I would think that would be way more common than Neophobia.

Re: Food Neophobia

could be both, sometimes he doesn't like touching things

Re: Food Neophobia

I never heard of this. What exactly is he doing? How old is he and what does he eat? What do you and his dad eat?

Re: Food Neophobia

How old is he? If he 3 and under I would call early intervention and get a FULL sensory assessment by an OT. If he's preschool age (4+) call you school district to set up an evaluation.

Is he gaining weight? Is his pediatrician concerned?

Re: Food Neophobia

My son is now 8, He REFUSES to try anything new. He doesn't eat any icecream, cookies, fruits, veggies etc... I will ask him to try this or that. He replys no, Nothing will happen to you, meaning him, he tells himself. He pretty much talks himself into NOT liking it! His dr says his weight and height is where it should be but still, this isn't normal.

My husband and I eat healthy

Message edited 6/28/2018 11:21:15 AM.

Re: Food Neophobia

Food Neophobia

My son is 5 and he has sensory issues and refuses to try anything new. Won’t even entertain it. He is also slowly eliminating things that he used to love from his diet. Chicken nuggets, French fries, pasta and sauce. When we have dinner with extended family for holidays or anything, I have to bring him his own Italian bread. He will scoop out the inside to eat it and that will be his dinner. For him it’s a texture issue. Once he stayed at my SIL’s and they made him eat corn for dinner if he wanted to have dessert. He came home talking about it and was gagging while he was talking about it. Poor kid. Your son sounds like he has a little sensory going on as well as a fear. I would maybe start with your pediatrician who can probably point you in the right direction. Possibly a developmental pediatrician?

Food Neophobia

If he doesn’t like textures or new foods I would look to a feeding therapist/ SLP possibly OT. I don’t think based on what you described would be a fear of new foods. Unless he is having symptoms of severe anxiety and can’t be in the room if you are having a new food, that is not a food phobia.

Message edited 6/28/2018 5:22:35 PM.

Food Neophobia

What does he eat? Is he so restrictive that he will only eat certain brands of certain items? How many different foods? I'd try to find a Speech Pathologist who can do a feeding evaluation. You have to differentiate picky eating from sensory issue with food from a fear of food. From what you described, I'm not sure it sounds like a fear of food. But you would have to go for evaluation to determine if it is actually disordered eating or just within the extreme range of a normal picky eater.

Food Neophobia

Get a evaluation for feeding therapy but it is not odd for kids not to eat a huge variety of foods. Their taste buds change over time. When my daughter was about 4ish she only ate 4 foods plus water. That was it. Her special needs preschool did food fun fridays that helped alot. They took one food and did the five senses, they touched, they smelled, and eventually tasted it. As long as they were tasting it, they got a reward. It was done low key and non forceful so the kids enjoyed it. She learned to eat a few new things that way.

Re: Food Neophobia

Thank you everyone! I just spoke to my sons dr. She recommended sending him to a feeding therapist and a psychiatrist

Food Neophobia

Sounds like me as a kid. No fruits no veggies except corn. Chicken but only off the bone and no red meat or pork. No chunky peanut butter. I grew out of many of the things except for fruit and the chicken.