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Impact of Behavioral Feeding Intervention on Child Emotional and Behavioral Functioning, Parenting Stress, and
Rachel M Knight1, Jeremy J Albright2, Alissa Huth-Bocks3
1Division of Pediatric Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor.
Insights
Behavioral feeding treatment improved child behavior and reduced parenting stress without negatively impacting mother-child attachment. This intervention offers a safe and effective option for pediatric feeding problems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Child Behavioral Health
- Family Studies
Background:
- Behavioral intervention is the primary evidence-based treatment for pediatric feeding problems.
- Parents may avoid behavioral interventions due to concerns about potential negative impacts on child behavior and the parent-child relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of behavioral feeding treatment on parenting stress, child behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing), and parent-child attachment quality.
- To address parental concerns regarding the safety and impact of behavioral feeding interventions.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 16 mother-child dyads (children aged 30-45 months) seeking treatment at a behavioral feeding clinic.
- Participants completed validated questionnaires for child behavior and parenting stress, and underwent the Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment quality at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
- A treatment group received behavioral feeding intervention, while a control group remained on a waitlist.
Main Results:
- The treatment group showed significant reductions in internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems compared to the control group.
- Parenting stress also decreased significantly in the treatment group relative to the control group.
- No significant differences in parent-child attachment quality were observed within or between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral feeding intervention positively influences children's emotional and behavioral functioning and reduces maternal parenting stress.
- The intervention does not adversely affect the quality of the mother-child attachment relationship.
- Further research with larger samples and observational measures is recommended to confirm generalizability and replicability.
Objectives:
Behavioral intervention is the only treatment for pediatric feeding problems with well documented empirical support. However, parents may be hesitant to pursue behavioral intervention because of concerns about possible negative side effects on child behavioral health and the parent-child relationship. This study investigated associations between behavioral feeding treatment and parenting stress, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in young children, and parent-child attachment quality.
Methods:
Participants included 16 mother-child dyads seeking treatment from a behavioral feeding clinic at a large Midwestern university medical center. Children were between the ages of 30 and 45 months (adjusted) at baseline. Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5 to 5 (CBCL/1.5-5), the Parenting Stress Index, 3rd Edition Short Form (PSI/SF), and mother-child dyads participated in the Strange Situation procedure at baseline and again after 6 months. The treatment group (n = 12) began outpatient behavioral feeding intervention following the baseline evaluation, whereas the control group (n = 12) remained on the clinic waitlist until after the 6-month follow-up.
Results:
The treatment group demonstrated decreases in internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems and parenting stress compared with the control group. No significant differences were demonstrated in parent-child attachment quality within or between groups.
Conclusions:
Behavioral feeding intervention had positive effects on perceptions of child emotional and behavioral functioning and maternal parenting stress. Intervention also did not impact the quality of the mother-child attachment relationship. Further research with a larger sample size and additional observational measures of behavior is needed to support the replicability and generalizability of these results.
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