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Infant feeding patterns over the first year of life: influence of family characteristics

A Betoko1, M-A Charles, R Hankard

  • 1INSERM, CESP, Centre for research in Epidemiology and Population Health, UMR-S 1018, Epidemiology of diabetes, obesity and chronic kidney disease over the life course, Villejuif, France. aisha.betoko@inserm.fr

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|January 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Infant feeding patterns in the first year are linked to family characteristics. Maternal education, age, and region influence these early eating habits, impacting later food preferences and health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Early eating patterns influence later food preferences and are linked to childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Understanding infant feeding practices is crucial for public health interventions.
  • Family characteristics play a significant role in shaping infant dietary behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify distinct infant feeding patterns within the first year of life.
  • To investigate the associations between identified feeding patterns and various family characteristics.
  • To provide insights into factors influencing early childhood nutrition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1004 infants from the EDEN mother-child cohort.
  • Maternal self-report data collected at birth, 4, 8, and 12 months.
  • Principal component analysis and linear regressions to identify feeding patterns and their associations with family factors.

Main Results:

  • Three primary feeding patterns were identified: 'late complementary food (CF) introduction and ready-prepared baby foods,' 'longer breastfeeding, late CF introduction, and home-made foods,' and 'use of adults' foods.'
  • Maternal factors like age, education, parity, and income were associated with specific feeding patterns.
  • Recruitment center also showed a relationship with all identified feeding patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal education, age, parity, and geographic region are key determinants of infant feeding patterns.
  • Further research is necessary to explore the links between these feeding patterns, infant growth, and subsequent food preferences.
Abstract

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