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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Maternal infant-feeding style and children's adiposity at 5 years of age
Hillary L Burdette1, Robert C Whitaker, Waynitra C Hall
1Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. burdette@email.chop.edu
Insights
Maternal concern about infant overeating is linked to higher childhood adiposity. This feeding style partially explains the association between maternal obesity and increased child body fat.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Maternal obesity is a growing concern with long-term health implications for children.
- Understanding factors that influence childhood adiposity is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between maternal infant-feeding styles and childhood adiposity.
- To determine if feeding style mediates the relationship between maternal obesity and child adiposity.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 313 preschool children.
- Maternal infant-feeding style assessed using the Infant Feeding Questionnaire.
- Childhood adiposity measured via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at age 5.
Main Results:
- Children of mothers with high concern about infant overeating had significantly higher fat mass.
- Maternal obesity was associated with increased childhood fat mass.
- Maternal concern about infant overeating accounted for 15% of the association between maternal obesity and child adiposity.
Conclusions:
- High maternal concern regarding infant overeating is associated with increased childhood adiposity.
- This feeding concern partially explains the link between maternal obesity and child adiposity.
Objectives:
To examine the relationship between maternal infant-feeding style and adiposity in childhood and to determine whether feeding style explains any of the association between maternal obesity and childhood adiposity.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Cincinnati metropolitan area.
Participants:
A total of 313 preschool children; 80% were white and 20% were black.
Main Outcome Measures:
Seven factors describing maternal infant-feeding style derived from the Infant Feeding Questionnaire administered at age 3 years; maternal obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher before pregnancy; and adiposity at 5 years of age as assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.
Results:
The mean +/- SD fat mass was 4.55 +/- 1.64 kg. Seventeen percent of the mothers were obese before pregnancy. Children whose mothers had high concern about the infant overeating or becoming overweight (the highest tertile of the "overeating" factor) had 0.67 kg (95% confidence interval, 0.31-1.03 kg) higher fat mass than children whose mothers did not have high concern (the other 2 tertiles). None of the other 6 feeding factors were related to childhood adiposity. Children of obese mothers had 0.54 kg (95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.98 kg) higher fat mass than children of nonobese mothers. High concern about the infant overeating, which was more common in obese mothers, accounted for 15% of this 0.54-kg difference.
Conclusion:
High maternal concern about an infant overeating or becoming overweight was associated with higher adiposity at 5 years of age and explained some of the association between maternal obesity and child adiposity.
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