332 Feeding and Eating Disorders
Rumination Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria 307.53 (F98.21)
A. Repeated regurgitation of food over a period of at least 1 month. Regurgitated food
may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out.
B. The repeated regurgitation is not attributable to an associated gastrointestinal or other
medical condition (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux, pyloric stenosis).
C. The eating disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa,
bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. 
D. If the symptoms occur in the context of another mental disorder (e.g., intellectual dis-
ability [intellectual developmental disorder ] or another neurodevelopmental disorder),
they are sufficiently severe to warrant additional clinical attention. 
Specify if:
In remission:  After full criteria for rumination disorder were previously met, the criteria
have not been met for a sustained period of time.
Diagnostic Features
The essential feature of rumina tion disorder is the repeated regurgitation of food occur-
ring after feeding or eating over a period of at least 1 month (Criterion A). Previously swal-
lowed food that may be partially digested is brought up into the mouth without apparent
nausea, involuntary retching, or disgust. The food may be re-chewed and then ejected
from the mouth or re-swallow ed. Regurgitation in ruminati on disorder should be fre-
quent, occurring at least several times per we ek, typically daily. The behavior is not better
explained by an associated gastrointestinal or other medical condition (e.g., gastroesoph-
ageal reflux, pyloric stenosis) (Criterion B) and does not occur exclusively during the