

Story highlights

  • Genes have been found to play a role in whether someone is a fussy eater
  • Parents of fussy toddlers should stop stressing about it during meals

(CNN)Toddlers' fussy eating habits can leave their parents wanting to tear their hair out, mainly with worry that they are doing something wrong.

    "Keeping meal times as positive as possible is the way forward," said Smith.

    Genetic influence at mealtime

    Smith examined the eating habits of more than 1,900 pairs of 16-month-old twins. Specifically, she explored both the tendency of the toddlers to be highly selective about the textures, taste and smell of foods they are willing to eat (which she calls "food fussiness") and their refusal to try new food ("food neophobia").
    When combined with questionnaires completed by their parents, the team investigated how genes and the home environment, such as parental behavior, play a role in a child's attitude to food. They found "significant genetic influence on food fussiness and food neophobia during early life," said Smith.

    Good news for parents

    "A lot of our mums say they feel guilty if they have a child with fussy eating habits," Wheatley told CNN. "They feel at fault for not having done enough to help their child be more accepting of new foods."
    Parents often feel bad about their children&#39;s refusal to eat certain foods
    Wheatley added that the research "goes to show that your child's (genetic) make-up plays a huge factor in whether they will embrace new tastes readily or not."

    Stressful mealtimes

    "When mealtimes tend to be negative it makes the child tense and those fussy tendencies become stronger," said Smith. "Coercing them into eating also exacerbates these tendencies."
    Trying to force your child to eat something can only make things worse
    Kerri -- a mother of a 17-month-old -- posted: "My little one often refuses to eat his lunch or dinner and I'm starting to worry he will never try anything new."
    She said her child "often goes into hysterics just at the sight of a plate of food."
    Another mother, Kayleigh, wrote: "My three-year-old daughter is nowhere near eating enough daily. I don't know what to do." The mother added, "I'm constantly offering her food," but her daughter tells her, "I'm not hungry."
    Dr. Sam Wass, a developmental psychologist at the University of East London, said fussy eating can be influenced by a range of factors, including a child's desire to exert control, a more general fear of novelty, or a high level of sensitivity to different textures and smells.

    Starting on the right track

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    What a child eats during the period he or she is weaned also plays a role. Explaining how parents can avoid turning their baby into a toddler who is fussy about food, Dr. Alastair Sutcliffe, a pediatric specialist at UCL, said "inappropriate feeding during weaning" was generally the cause of the problem.
    "As long as the diet the child has consists of things that have enough nutrients, even it it's quite a narrow diet, then that's not harmful. Fiber and iron are important," he said.
    ‎"The key to overcoming fussy eating is to offer, encourage but not force. Make mealtimes fun and include lots of different types of food which you and the rest of the family eat without making a fuss - and show you enjoy them," she said.
    "Eventually toddler curiosity will overcome any anxiety and your child will try it -- but be patient," she added.