Arizona-based nonprofit Feeding Matters – the first organization in the world dedicated to advancing the research, identification, and collaborative care of pediatric feeding disorders – has named the International Pediatric Feeding Research Consortium (IPFRC) the recipient of its inaugural seed funding grant. The grant will support IPFRC’s work to create a standardized patient characterization tool with a corresponding data registry to further advance the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders.

“A lack of longitudinal, evidence-based data and the heterogeneous nature of pediatric feeding disorders have been identified as barriers to understanding more about the individualized needs of these children,” said Feeding Matters President and CEO Chris Linn. “We are proud to support research that addresses these issues head on, offering much-needed data that will not only assist hospital programs, but healthcare professionals in community clinics as well.  We look forward to the advancements made possible by a shared database.” 

Founded in 2017, the IPFRC is an alliance of some of the top academic interdisciplinary feeding teams in the country, including the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and St. Vincent Hospital.

“We are excited to receive this seed grant from Feeding Matters to jump start our Feeding Research Consortium,” adds IPFRC spokesperson Praveen S. Goday, MBBS, CNSC, FAAP. “This consortium will bring together the collective resources of some of the top feeding programs in the country to further advance the field.”

As part of its mission to further advances in pediatric feeding disorders by accelerating identification, igniting research, and promoting collaborative care, Feeding Matters has launched its new grants program to provide seed funding for organizations and individuals studying the often misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition.

Submission criteria, details, and deadlines for Feeding Matters’ 2019 grant program will be announced in the fall of 2018.