A quarter of all children are said to have some form of feeding difficulty during infancy and this number rises to many as 50 per cent among youngsters who are developmentally delayed and severely disabled.

Today more than 200 health professionals, special needs teachers and carers from throughout the UK will attend a conference at the University of Glasgow on children with feeding difficulties.

Feeding problems can include refusing food, eating only a limited diet, vomiting, taking too long to eat a meal and being disruptive at meal times.

Research has shown that they can result in weight loss, malnutrition, growth retardation, intellectual deficit and make a child more susceptible to illness.

One of the conference speakers, Lorna Russell, of Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow, said: "Until now public focus has largely been on the problems of obese children, but the problem of growing numbers of children who have feeding difficulties also needs to be addressed.

"This conference will bring together some of the leading experts who deal with feeding problems and will highlight the needs of children with feeding difficulties."

Key speakers will include Dr Peter Sullivan of the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, who will be revealing the results of the first ever study of the feeding, gastrointestinal and nutritional problems encountered by disabled children.

Dr Adrian Thomas, from Booth Hall Hospital, Manchester, will highlight the problems and prevalence of under-nutrition in children and Dr Catherine Dendy, from Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, will look at the psychological aspects of feeding problems in young children.

Carolyn Dunlop, paediatric dietician , will talk about a successful feeding clinic she is involved in at Yorkhill Hospital.