Parental control over feeding in infancy. Influence of infant weight, appetite and feeding method
Alison Fildes1, Cornelia H M van Jaarsveld1, Clare Llewellyn2
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, Capital House, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, UK.
Insights
Parental feeding control adapts to infant appetite and weight. Mothers pressure infants with lower birth weight and appetite, while restricting those with higher appetites if bottle-fed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Maternal and Child Health
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Parental control in feeding is linked to child overweight.
- Parental feeding behaviors are increasingly recognized as child-responsive, not solely exogenous.
- Early infancy feeding dynamics warrant further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that parental control in early infancy is responsive to infant appetite and weight.
- To investigate the relationship between infant characteristics and parental feeding control strategies.
- To explore how maternal feeding behaviors vary based on infant cues.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1920 mothers in the Gemini twin cohort at infant age of 8 months.
- Assessed maternal 'pressure' and 'restriction' feeding behaviors via questionnaires.
- Analyzed associations with infant appetite, birth weight, feeding method, and maternal concerns using logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Maternal 'pressure' was associated with lower birth weight, underweight concerns, and lower infant appetite.
- 'Restriction' was linked to higher infant appetite and bottle feeding.
- Infants with high appetites were more likely to be restricted when bottle-fed, indicating a feeding method interaction.
Conclusions:
- Maternal milk-feeding control is partly responsive to infant characteristics like appetite and weight.
- Parents adjust feeding strategies, pressuring smaller/less hungry infants and restricting larger-appetite infants if bottle-fed.
- Infant feeding guidance should acknowledge parental responsiveness to infant cues to improve effectiveness.
Background And Objective:
Parental control over feeding has been linked to child overweight. Parental control behaviours have been assumed to be exogenous to the child, but emerging evidence suggests they are also child-responsive. This study tests the hypothesis that parental control in early infancy is responsive to infant appetite and weight.
Subjects And Methods:
Participants were 1920 mothers from the Gemini twin cohort, using one randomly selected child per family. Data come from questionnaires completed when the children were approximately 8 months. Mothers completed measures of 'pressure' and 'restriction', reported feeding method (breast- and bottle feeding), rated their infant's appetite during the first 3 months, provided health professional recorded weight measurements, and reported their concerns about their infant's weight. Logistic regression examined predictors of 'pressure' and 'restriction', adjusting for maternal demographics and BMI. Interactions between feeding method and control were also tested.
Results:
'Pressure' was associated with lower birth weight (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65-0.97), greater concern about underweight (OR = 1.88, 1.29-2.75), and lower infant appetite (OR = 0.59, 0.47-0.75). 'Restriction' was associated with higher appetite (OR = 1.44, 1.09-1.89) and bottle feeding (OR = 2.86, 2.18-3.75). A significant interaction with feeding method indicated that infants with high appetites were more likely to be restricted only if they were bottle-fed (OR = 1.52, 1.13-2.04).
Conclusion:
Mothers vary in their levels of control over milk-feeding and this is partly responsive to the infant's characteristics. They tend to pressure infants who are lighter and have a smaller appetite, and restrict infants with larger appetites if they are bottle-fed. Guidance on infant feeding may be better received if it acknowledges that parents respond to infant characteristics in order to achieve their feeding goals.
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