The Feeding-swallowing Impact Survey: Reference Values from a UK Sample of Parents of Children Without a Known or Suspected Feeding Disorder.
Alexandra Stewart, E Van Hoeve, A Mustafa and 3 others
PMID 40471407WHAT IT FOUND
For UK parents of children without diagnosed feeding disorders, the Feeding-swallowing Impact Survey scores are very low, with a median total of 20 on a 18-90 scale.
This provides a baseline showing that typical mealtime challenges rarely cause significant family quality of life impairment.
Key findings
01The median cumulative FS-IS total score for this reference group was 20, with an interquartile range of 3, on a possible scale of 18 to 90.
02Parents who perceived their child as having a feeding difficulty scored 24 points higher on the 75th centile than those who did not, despite screening negative for swallowing difficulties.
03Reference values differ by age, with children under 2 years showing a median score of 21 compared to 20 for children over 2 years.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was not fully representative of the UK population, being largely from London and the South East, and over-representing white and employed families. The questionnaire was only available in English, excluding non-English speakers. Reliance on online recruitment may have biased the sample towards those with digital competence and internet access. The Pedi-EAT-10 was used to exclude children with swallowing difficulties, but it is not a perfect screen for paediatric feeding disorders in this age range, so some children with undiagnosed issues may have been included, and some without may have been excluded. The study used an electronic version of the FS-IS, whereas the original validation used paper, and the impact of this mode of delivery is unclear.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. No other conflicts of interest are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret high FS-IS scores in children without diagnosed disorders as evidence of a hidden medical problem. The study shows that parent perception of feeding difficulty alone can significantly raise scores, independent of actual swallowing or feeding pathology.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →