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Eating difficulties in children born late and moderately preterm at 2 y of age: a prospective population-based cohort

Samantha Johnson1, Ruth Matthews2, Elizabeth S Draper2

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom; and sjj19@le.ac.uk.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|January 1, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Late and moderately preterm (LMPT) infants show higher risks for picky eating and oral motor issues. However, these eating difficulties in LMPT infants are linked to neurobehavioral factors, not prematurity itself.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Pediatric nutrition
  • Developmental pediatrics

Background:

  • Very preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation) face increased eating difficulties.
  • The impact of late and moderately preterm (LMPT; 32-36 weeks gestation) birth on childhood eating is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Assess eating difficulties prevalence in LMPT infants at 2 years corrected age.
  • Investigate the influence of neonatal and neurodevelopmental factors on these difficulties.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort study included 1130 LMPT and 1255 term-born infants.
  • Parents completed validated questionnaires on eating behaviors and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years corrected age.
  • Poisson regression analyzed eating difficulties and associated factors.

Main Results:

  • Unadjusted analyses showed LMPT infants had higher risks for picky eating and oral motor problems.
  • Prolonged nasogastric feeding, behavioral problems, and delayed social competence were linked to eating difficulties.
  • After adjusting for these factors, no excess eating difficulties were observed in LMPT infants.

Conclusions:

  • LMPT infants exhibit increased risks for oral motor and picky eating problems at 2 years corrected age.
  • These eating difficulties are mediated by other neurobehavioral sequelae in this population.
  • Early identification and management of neurobehavioral factors are crucial for LMPT infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
eating behaviorgestational ageneurodevelopmentoral motor problemspreterm

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