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Early Nonfood Parent-Infant Interactions and Development of Obesity in a High-Risk, Diverse Sample

Kai Ling Kong1, Rina D Eiden2, Rocco A Paluch1

  • 1Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|November 6, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Positive interactions during play, specifically maternal warmth and child positive affect, are linked to lower obesity risk in children. Feeding interactions did not show a significant protective effect against obesity development.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Maternal substance use during pregnancy increases obesity risk in children.
  • Understanding protective factors in early development is crucial for mitigating long-term health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the role of mother-infant interactions in food and nonfood behaviors on obesity risk.
  • To investigate protective factors against obesity in a high-risk cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 216 mother-infant dyads with high prenatal risk.
  • Assessed mother-infant interactions during feeding and play at 1 and 7 months.
  • Tracked child BMI trajectories from infancy to second grade.

Main Results:

  • No association found between feeding interactions and child BMI trajectories.
  • Maternal warmth and child positive affect during play were linked to normative BMI growth.
  • These play-based interactions showed a protective effect against obesity risk.

Conclusions:

  • High maternal warmth and child positive affect during play, not feeding, are associated with reduced obesity risk.
  • Early positive interactions during play may buffer against obesity in high-risk children.
  • Findings highlight the importance of play-based interactions for long-term child health.
Abstract

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