This study examined the effects of an exposure-based behavioral treatment on food refusal in a 4-year-old girl who developed a fear of choking after an acute choking episode. Prior to treatment, the child had stopped eating almost all solid foods for 3 months and was primarily consuming a chocolate-flavored pediatric formula. Treatment occurred across the span of 2 weeks and took place at a pediatric feeding program. At the end of treatment, the child accepted over 30 new foods and was no longer dependent on a pediatric formula to meet her nutritional needs.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
2.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
3.
BanerjeeS. P.BhandariR. P.RosenbergD. R. (2005). Use of low-dose selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for severe, refractory choking phobia in childhood. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 26, 123-127.
4.
BurklowK. A.LinscheidT. (2004). Rapid inpatient behavioral treatment for choking phobia in children. Children’s Health Care, 33, 93-107.
5.
ChatoorI.ConleyM. D.DicksonL. (1988). Food refusal after an incident of choking: A posttraumatic eating disorder. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 105-110.
6.
ChorpitaB. F.VitaliA. E.BarlowD. H. (1997). Behavioral treatment of choking phobia in an adolescent: An experimental analysis. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 28, 307-315.
7.
CulbertT.KajanderR.KohenD.ReaneyJ. B. (1996). Hypnobehavioral approaches for school-age children with dysphagia and food aversion: A case series. Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, 17, 335-341.
8.
DavisT.ReutherE. T.RudyB. M. (2013). One-session treatment of a specific phobia of swallowing pills. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 399-410.
9.
EvansI. M.PechtelP. (2011). Phagophobia: Behavioral treatment of a complex case involving fear of fear. Clinical Case Studies, 10, 37-52.
10.
FieldD.GarlandM.WilliamsK. (2003). Correlates of specific childhood feeding problems. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, 39, 299-304.
LopesR.MeloR.CurralR.CoelhoR.Roma-TorresA. (2014). A case of choking phobia: Towards a conceptual approach. Eating and Weight Disorders, 19, 125-131.
13.
McNallyR. J. (1994). Choking phobia: A review of the literature. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 35, 83-89.
14.
MuellerM. M.PiazzaC. C.MooreJ. M.KelleyM. E.BethkeS. A.PruettA. E.. . .LayerS. (2003). Training parents to implement pediatric feeding protocols. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 545-562.
15.
PaulC.WilliamsK. E.RiegelK.GibbonsB. (2007). Combining repeated taste exposure and escape prevention: An intervention for the treatment of extreme food selectivity. Appetite, 49, 708-711.
16.
PizzoB.WilliamsK. E.PaulC.RiegelK. (2009). Jump start exit criterion: Exploring a new service delivery for the treatment of childhood feeding problems. Behavioral Interventions, 24, 195-203.
17.
RoosC.JonghA. (2008). EMDR treatment of children and adolescents with a choking phobia. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2, 201-211.
18.
SeiverlingL.WilliamsK.SturmeyP.HartS. (2012). Effects of behavioral skills training on parental treatment of children’s food selectivity. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45, 197-203.
19.
SuraweeraC.HanwellaR.De SilvaV. (2014). Phagophobia: A case report. BMC Research Notes, 7, 1-3.
20.
WilliamsK. E.FieldD. G.RiegelK.PaulC. (2011). Brief, intensive behavioral treatment of food refusal secondary to emetophobia. Clinical Case Studies, 10, 304-311.
