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Infant appetite traits, feeding practices and child obesity in low-income Hispanic families

Sarvenaz Vandyousefi1, Mary Jo Messito1, Michelle W Katzow2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

Pediatric Obesity
|March 11, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Infant appetite traits influence feeding practices and child weight. Specifically, slower eating in infants was linked to longer breastfeeding, which in turn was associated with lower weight-for-age z-scores at age three years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Appetite traits and infant feeding practices are key factors influencing child weight trajectories.
  • Understanding the interplay between infant appetite and feeding is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between infant appetite traits and feeding practices.
  • To determine if feeding practices mediate the relationship between infant appetite traits and weight-for-age z-scores at age three years.
  • To identify potential targets for early life interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary data analysis from the 'Starting Early Program' involving low-income, Hispanic mother-child pairs.
  • Assessment of infant appetite traits using the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire.
  • Collection of infant feeding practices data including breastfeeding, complementary feeding introduction, and fruit juice consumption via 24-h recalls and surveys.
  • Application of regression and mediation analyses to explore associations.

Main Results:

  • Higher 'Slowness in Eating' scores were associated with increased breastfeeding exclusivity, intensity, and duration.
  • Infants with higher 'Slowness in Eating' and 'Satiety Responsiveness' showed reduced odds of early complementary food introduction.
  • Higher 'Enjoyment of Food' scores correlated with increased 100% fruit juice consumption.
  • Breastfeeding duration significantly mediated the association between higher 'Slowness in Eating' and lower weight-for-age z-scores at age three years.

Conclusions:

  • Infant appetite traits are linked to specific feeding practices.
  • Breastfeeding duration acts as a mediator between certain appetite traits and child weight outcomes.
  • Appetite traits offer promising targets for designing early-life infant feeding interventions to manage weight and prevent obesity.
Abstract

Keywords:
Hispanicappetite traitsbreastfeedinginfant feeding practicesobesity

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