Does maternal control during feeding moderate early infant weight gain?

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Developmental Psychology
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Infant feeding practices are crucial for healthy growth.
• Maternal feeding behaviors may impact infant weight gain trajectories.
• Understanding these dynamics is key to addressing infant obesity and undernutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if maternal control during feeding at 6 months moderates infant weight gain during the first year.
• To analyze the relationship between maternal feeding control and infant weight gain patterns.

Main Methods:

• Observational study of 69 mothers feeding their 6-month-old infants.
• Coding of maternal controlling feeding behaviors during mealtimes.
• Standardized infant weight measurements at birth, 6, and 12 months, with weight gain calculation and adjustment for prematurity, age, and gender.

Main Results:

• An interaction was found between early infant weight gain (birth to 6 months) and maternal feeding control at 6 months in predicting weight gain from 6 to 12 months.
• Moderate/low maternal control showed a pattern where slow early gain accelerated, and rapid early gain decelerated.
• High maternal control reversed this pattern, indicating a significant moderating effect.

Conclusions:

• Maternal control during solid food introduction can significantly moderate infant weight gain.
• This suggests that the manner of maternal feeding control plays a role in shaping infant growth patterns.