Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
05:04

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

810

Infant social withdrawal and rapid infant weight gain

Sarah Sander1, Anne Christine Stuart2, Maria Stougaard3

  • 1Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|December 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Infant social withdrawal is linked to rapid infant weight gain (RIWG) in a large study. This finding suggests early markers for later overweight and mental health issues may be connected from infancy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Rapid infant weight gain (RIWG) and infant social withdrawal are early indicators for future overweight/obesity and mental health concerns, respectively.
  • The association between these two conditions later in life is known, but their connection during infancy remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant social withdrawal and subsequent RIWG.
  • To determine if this association persists independently of numerous known risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 12,468 infants born in Copenhagen between 2015-2019 was analyzed.
  • Infant social withdrawal was assessed around 3 months using the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB).
  • Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the link between social withdrawal and RIWG, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Infants exhibiting social withdrawal had significantly higher odds of RIWG (aOR 1.19).
  • Factors such as being male, firstborn, small-for-gestational age, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI were associated with increased RIWG.
  • Higher birth weight and breastfeeding for over 4 months demonstrated protective effects against RIWG.

Conclusions:

  • A significant association exists between infant social withdrawal and subsequent rapid infant weight gain, independent of known risk factors.
  • This finding contributes to understanding the developmental origins of excess weight gain and its potential links to early childhood mental health.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Marmoset Research - Scope and Challenges04:52

Author Spotlight: Marmoset Research - Scope and Challenges

Published on: June 9, 2023

2.5K
Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development06:19

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development

Published on: April 19, 2024

1.2K

Related Concept Videos

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
1.5K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
398
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
455
Anorexia Nervosa01:28

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
853
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
769
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
206