Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Medical complications | 273.000000000000 | Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Medical complications | Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Medical complications | A | English | Psychiatry | Toddler (13-24 months);Preschooler (2-4 years);School age child (5-8 years);Pre-teen (9-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | NA | NA | Conditions and diseases | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2016-02-02T05:00:00Z | | | | | | 8.90000000000000 | 60.6000000000000 | 500.000000000000 | | Health (A-Z) - Conditions | Health A-Z | <p>Learn how avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder can cause long-term health problems.</p> |
<p>When someone with
<a href="/Article?contentid=274&language=English">avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)</a> avoids a wide range of foods over a period of time, it can lead to malnutrition. This is when the body does not get enough nutrients to perform its usual functions.</p><p>Malnutrition can affect every part of the body. The following are some of the most common complications seen in children and teens with ARFID.</p> | | <h2>Key points</h2>
<ul>
<li>Over time, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder can cause malnutrition.</li>
<li>The medical complications linked to malnutrition include a slow or irregular heart rate, low blood pressure, weak bones, frequent mood changes, hormonal disruptions and hair thinning or hair loss.</li>
</ul> | | | | | | | <h2>Low or irregular heart rate</h2><p>ARFID can cause a person's heart rate to become critically slow (a condition known as bradycardia). The heart may speed up abnormally when a person moves from lying down to standing up. A very slow or sudden change in heart beat makes it unsafe for someone to be out of hospital. Some people with ARFID also develop an abnormal heart rhythm that needs to be monitored in hospital.</p><h2>Low blood pressure and anemia </h2><p>People with ARFID may have a low blood pressure or may experience a drop in their blood pressure when they move from lying down to standing up. This puts them at risk of fainting.</p><p>The lack of iron in their diet may also lead to medical conditions such as iron-deficiency anemia. This can also lead to feeling tired, dizzy or short of breath.</p><h2>Weak bones</h2><p>Lack of <a href="/Article?contentid=1970&language=English">calcium and vitamin D</a> over a long period can cause bones to become weaker. This leaves someone with ARFID at risk of developing <a href="/Article?contentid=948&language=English">osteoporosis</a> and bone fractures in the future.</p>
<h2>Mood changes</h2><p>When the brain is starved of nutrients, a person with ARFID will experience more frequent changes in their mood and be less able to concentrate and think clearly.</p><h2>Reduced hormone levels </h2><p>A body that is starved of nutrients may not produce normal levels of hormones. In teen girls, this can lead to abnormal or missed periods. Younger children who experience ARFID may not go through puberty normally or may stop growing.</p><h2>Thinning hair</h2><p>Lack of vitamins and minerals can cause hair to become thinner and even fall out. Some people with ARFID may also experience lanugo. This is a type of fine hair that grows all over the body in an attempt to keep it warm when body fat levels are extremely low.</p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <h2>Further information</h2><p>For more information on avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), please see the following pages:</p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=274&language=English">ARFID: Overview</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=275&language=English">ARFID: Signs and symptoms</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=703&language=English">ARFID: Treatment options</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=272&language=English">ARFID: How to help your child at home</a></p><h2>Resources<br></h2><p>
<a href="http://www.nedic.ca/" target="_blank">NEDIC – National Eating Disorder Information Centre</a> (Canada)<br></p><p>
<a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/" target="_blank">NEDA – National Eating Disorder Association</a> (United States)</p><p>American Academy of Pediatrics –
<em>
<a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Is-Your-Teen-at-Risk-for-Developing-an-Eating-Disorder.aspx" target="_blank">Eating Disorders in Children</a></em></p><p>
<a href="https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/" target="_blank">BEAT – Beating Eating Disorders</a> (United Kingdom)</p><p>
<a href="https://keltyeatingdisorders.ca/" target="_blank">Kelty Eating Disorders</a> (Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, BC Children's Hospital)</p><p>Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario –
<a href="https://www.cheo.on.ca/en/eating_disorder_info" target="_blank">
<em>Eating Disorders</em></a></p> | | <img alt="" src="https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/avoidant_restrictive_medical_complications.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/avoidant_restrictive_medical_complications.jpg | | | | | | | Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Medical complications | | False | | | | | | |