Is+the+neophobic+response+a+normal+developmental+stage+for+all+children%3F

Yes, most children, and adults, are to some extent neophobic. Most of us are reluctant to eat new foods and have to get used to them over a period of time. However, this trait is more extreme in some children and adults than in others, and the neophobic response seems to be stronger towards some foods than towards others.

The neophobic response is a normal developmental stage, but with some variation.

• The response tends to gradually become less marked as the child gets older.
• By the age of five years many children are able to accept new foods without protest.

The rejection of meat and fish seems to be genetically determined, whereas the acceptance of sweet foods and puddings is not. This is possibly because a preference for sweeter foods and easy textures is learned through exposure, whereas the reaction to food with a strong sensory component, such as a difficult texture or strong smell, is inherited.

Although most children will grow out of the extreme neophobic response, there is a small group of children, mainly boys, who do not. These children may carry on to later childhood with an extremely limited range of foods accepted, and a strong fear response towards new foods. see Factsheet 2.3