Nutrition, behavioral development, and mother-child interaction in young rural children

In a poor rural community two groups of 17 mother-child units each were studied longitudinally. One group followed the usual feeding habits of the community which result in undernutrition of the child. The other group was provided food supplementation which was sufficient to provide an adequate diet for the child. From the 24th week on, the supplemented children developed a different pattern of interaction with mother and the environment: they slept less, barely used the cradle during the day, played more in the yard, and refused to be carried wrapped up. After the 36th week they received more stimuli and more deferences and rewards, not only from the mother but from the father as well. At 18 months the supplemented children moved about six times as much as the nonsupplemented and exhibited more complex behavior. They were more restless, playful, demanding, disobedient. It is concluded that better nutrition caused an increase in the activity of the child, which made him more demanding, which in turn increased interaction with his mother and established a feedback system, which in turn modified his behavior.