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Updated: Dec 26, 2025

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
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A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

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Is breastfeeding associated with later child eating behaviours?

Wei Wei Pang1, Keri McCrickerd2, Phaik Ling Quah2

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, 119228, Singapore.

Appetite
|March 11, 2020
PubMed

Insights

High breastfeeding exposure was linked to less picky eating and feeding difficulties in children at age 3. However, these associations were not consistent across all eating behaviors or over time, suggesting breastfeeding alone may not have lasting impacts.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Nutrition
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Individual differences in children's eating behaviors are evident early in life.
  • Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its potential health benefits, but its long-term impact on specific eating behaviors requires further investigation.
  • Understanding factors influencing children's eating patterns is crucial for promoting healthy development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding and subsequent eating behaviors in children.
  • To assess associations between breastfeeding exposure and reported and observed eating behaviors from infancy through early childhood.
  • To investigate potential long-term effects of breastfeeding on food fussiness, feeding difficulties, and objective eating measures.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 970 children from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.
  • Children were categorized into high, intermediate, and low breastfeeding exposure groups based on duration and exclusivity.
  • Eating behaviors were assessed using maternal questionnaires (Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, Infant Feeding Questionnaire, Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire) and laboratory-based measures (meal size, eating speed, bite size, eating in absence of hunger) from 15 months to 6 years.

Main Results:

  • High breastfeeding exposure was significantly associated with lower reported food fussiness at 3 years and less reported difficulty in child feeding compared to low breastfeeding exposure.
  • These positive associations were not consistently observed at 6 years or for other reported eating behaviors.
  • No significant associations were found between breastfeeding exposure and laboratory-based measures of eating behavior at any time point.

Conclusions:

  • While high breastfeeding exposure showed some benefits regarding reduced food fussiness and feeding difficulties at age 3, these effects were not robust or sustained.
  • The findings do not strongly support the hypothesis that increased breastfeeding exposure alone leads to consistent, long-lasting positive changes in children's eating behaviors.
  • Further research is needed to explore the interplay of breastfeeding with other factors influencing children's eating habits.

Keywords:
BreastfeedingChild eating behavioursOral processingSatiety responsiveness: Food fussiness

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