What is Rumination Eating Disorder?
Definition.
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“Rumination disorder, also known as rumination syndrome, is a rare and chronic condition. It affects infants, children, and adults.
People with this disorder regurgitate food after most meals. Regurgitation occurs when recently ingested food rises into the esophagus, throat, and mouth, but isn’t involuntarily or forcefully expelled from the mouth as it is in vomiting.”
“Rumination disorder involves the regular regurgitation of food that occurs for at least one month. Regurgitated food may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out. Typically, when someone regurgitates their food, they do not appear to be making an effort, nor do they appear to be stressed, upset, or disgusted.”
“This eating disorder is when a person, usually a baby or young child, brings food that’s been chewed and swallowed back up and re-chews it. They then eat it again, but sometimes pay spit it out. To be considered a disorder, the person must have been eating normally before and must re-chew food regularly — usually every day — for at least a month.”
Rumination eating disorder is characterized as eating food, swallowing, regurgitating the food, chewing it again, then re-swallowing it or spitting it out. Food isn’t involuntarily or forcefully expelled from the body like in vomiting. It is a rare but chronic condition affecting all ages.
Diagnosis Criteria
- The action of regurgitation of food must occur for at least one month, and food may be re-swallowed, rechewed, or spit out.
- Condition not a result of medication
- Repeated regurgitation doesn’t coincide with other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, BED, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.
- May require independent clinical attention if transpires with another mental disorder.
Symptoms
- bad breath
- weight loss
- stomach aches or indigestion
