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Infant feeding behavior: development in patterns and motivation
K Paul1, J Dittrichová, H Papousek
1Institute for the Care of Mother and Child Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
Human infant feeding behaviors, including sucking, breathing, and swallowing, undergo significant changes in the first six months. These developmental shifts are linked to intrinsic motivation and social interaction during feeding.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Behavior
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Infant feeding behaviors are crucial for development and offer insights into behavioral regulation.
- Understanding these behaviors aids in establishing normative developmental data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the developmental changes in feeding behaviors (sucking, breathing, swallowing) in infants.
- To investigate the relationship between feeding methods (breast vs. bottle) and social contact.
- To explore the shift in motor activities and its connection to intrinsic motivation.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of 20 healthy, full-term infants at 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of age.
- Audiovisual and polygraphic recordings during and after feeding.
- Analysis of sucking, breathing, and swallowing parameters.
Main Results:
- Significant changes in sucking, breathing, and swallowing parameters were observed within the first six months.
- Breast-fed infants experienced more social contact due to longer feeding durations.
- Alert motor activities shifted from pre-feeding to post-feeding, correlating with increased visual exploration and EEG theta index.
Conclusions:
- Infant feeding behaviors demonstrate significant developmental progression in the first six months.
- Feeding method influences social interaction opportunities.
- The observed behavioral shifts are associated with developmental changes and intrinsic motivation.
Abstract:
Studies of feeding behaviors in human infants not only provide normative data but also allow analyses of the behavioral regulation. Twenty healthy full-term infants were observed by two examiners and were audiovisually and polygraphically recorded under standard conditions at 2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of age prior to, during, and after breast- or bottle-feeding. The parameters of sucking, breathing and swallowing significantly changed during the first 6 months of age. At 2 weeks, infants were alert and visually attentive during sucking. Breast-fed infants had more opportunities for intimate social contacts than bottle-fed infants because breast feeding took significantly longer time than bottle feeding. Alert motor activities significantly shifted from the prefeeding to the postfeeding time during the first 6 months of age. Together with an increase in visual exploration and theta index in EEG, this shift seems to relate to developmental changes and interindividual differences in the intrinsic motivation.