Beyond Amount: Parent Perceptions of Feeding Success for Their Developmentally At-Risk Infants in the First 2 Years

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Child Development
• Parental Perceptions

Background:

• Infants at risk for feeding difficulties require specialized support.
• Understanding parental perspectives on successful feeding is crucial for effective intervention.
• Parental views evolve as the child progresses through developmental stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore parents' definitions of 'successful feeding' for infants at risk.
• To track the evolution of these definitions from 1 to 24 months post-term.
• To inform healthcare professionals on family-centered feeding support.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of qualitative data from a longitudinal mixed-methods study.
• Conventional content analysis of 864 parent responses to an open-ended question.
• Data collected at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-term.

Main Results:

• Key themes included child behavior, positive response, intake, and time.
• Child behavior, positive response, and intake were consistently important.
• Focus shifted from intake quantity and adverse events to child well-being and engagement with age.

Conclusions:

• Successful feeding is defined by indicators of the child's development and well-being.
• Parental success metrics adapt as children age, stabilize physiologically, and consume complex foods.
• Understanding parental priorities is essential for family-centered care of infants with feeding challenges.