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Sucking behavior in typical and challenging feedings in association with weight gain from birth to 4 Months in

Julie C Lumeng1, Heidi M Weeks2, Katharine Asta3

  • 1Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Appetite
|May 23, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Infant sucking behavior during challenging feedings predicts future weight gain. Greater consumption with harder nipples indicates a willingness to work for food, an early obesity risk indicator.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infant Nutrition
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Sucking behavior is a known marker for obesity risk.
  • Prospective prediction of infant weight gain using sucking behavior under challenging conditions remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if infant sucking behavior in response to feeding challenges predicts future weight gain.
  • To assess how nipple challenge affects infant sucking patterns and consumption.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed sucking behavior using a pressure device in 45 healthy, full-term infants at 2 weeks and 2 months.
  • Measured infant weight and length at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 4 months to calculate weight-for-length z-score (WLZ).
  • Compared sucking behavior and intake during standard versus challenging nipple feeding conditions.

Main Results:

  • Challenging nipples altered infant sucking pressure, burst duration, and feeding duration compared to typical nipples.
  • Greater infant consumption during challenging nipple feedings positively predicted the rate of change in WLZ up to 4 months.
  • Consumption during typical feedings did not predict WLZ change.

Conclusions:

  • Nipple resistance significantly impacts infant sucking behavior and oral intake.
  • Infants consuming more from challenging nipples exhibit increased prospective weight gain, suggesting an early indicator of obesity risk.
  • A heightened "work-to-eat" drive in infants may be detectable through sucking behavior assessments.

Keywords:
Obesity

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