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The relationship between maternal feeding beliefs and practices and perceptions of infant eating behaviours at 4

Kimberley M Mallan1, Serena E Sullivan2, Susan J de Jersey3

  • 1School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia; School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Appetite
|May 3, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Maternal feeding beliefs and practices influence infant eating behaviors early in life. Understanding these connections is crucial for preventing childhood obesity and promoting healthy eating habits from infancy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Parental feeding practices and child eating behaviors are linked to childhood obesity.
  • Limited research exists on the parent-child feeding relationship in early infancy.
  • Early identification of feeding dynamics is vital for long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cross-sectional association between maternal feeding beliefs/practices and infant eating behaviors.
  • To explore how maternal concerns (underweight/overweight) and feeding strategies impact infant eating patterns.
  • To examine the early parent-child feeding relationship in a community sample.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 413 mothers and their 4-month-old infants.
  • Mothers self-reported on feeding beliefs, practices, and infant eating behaviors using validated tools.
  • Multivariable regression analyses were performed, controlling for maternal and infant covariates.

Main Results:

  • Maternal concern about infant underweight was linked to higher satiety responsiveness and lower food enjoyment in infants.
  • Greater maternal awareness of infant feeding cues correlated with increased infant enjoyment of food.
  • Maternal concern about infant overweight and using food for calming were associated with higher infant food responsiveness.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal feeding beliefs and practices are associated with infant eating behaviors from a very early age.
  • These early relationships suggest a potential pathway for influencing long-term eating habits and obesity risk.
  • Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the causal direction of these associations.

Keywords:
Eating behaviourFeeding beliefs and practicesInfant

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