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How Do Infants Eat at Home? A Preliminary Study of Complementary Feeding Skills in the Naturalistic Environment

Rachel Hahn Arkenberg1,2, Amy Delaney3, Amanda Seidl4

  • 1Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
|April 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

This study shows that observing infant feeding skills at home is feasible. Infants at risk for feeding disorders exhibit different oral-motor skills compared to their peers.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric feeding development
  • Infant nutrition
  • Developmental pediatrics

Background:

  • Understanding complementary feeding skills is crucial for managing pediatric feeding disorder (PFD).
  • Limited data exists on infant feeding skill development in natural home environments.
  • A dynamic systems approach can help identify predictors of infant feeding skills.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Assess the feasibility of characterizing infant feeding in the home.
  • Determine concurrent predictors of infant complementary feeding skills.
  • Utilize a dynamic systems approach to understand feeding development.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional observational study of 36 infants (6-8 months old), including 11 at-risk for feeding disorders.
  • Feeding skills assessed using the Oral Feeding Skills Scale (OFS-S) and eating efficiency from caregiver videos.
  • Caregiver surveys/interviews and standardized developmental tests were used.

Main Results:

  • Home-based caregiver recordings are valid for assessing infant feeding skills.
  • Infants at risk showed significantly lower and more variable oral-motor feeding skills.
  • Risk status and weeks of feeding experience were key predictors of oral-motor skills.

Conclusions:

  • Observing infant feeding skills in the home environment is feasible.
  • Infants at risk for PFD demonstrate distinct feeding skill profiles.
  • Longitudinal studies are recommended for early PFD identification and treatment.
Abstract

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