Parental control over feeding in infancy. Influence of infant weight, appetite and feeding method

Alison Fildes; Cornelia H M van Jaarsveld; Clare Llewellyn; Jane Wardle; Abigail Fisher

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.004

Parental control over feeding in infancy. Influence of infant weight, appetite and feeding method

Appetite. 2015 Aug:91:101-6. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.004. Epub 2015 Apr 8.

Authors

Alison Fildes¹, Cornelia H M van Jaarsveld¹, Clare Llewellyn², Jane Wardle³, Abigail Fisher²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, Capital House, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, UK.
² Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. Electronic address: j.wardle@ucl.ac.uk.

Abstract

Background and objective: Parental control over feeding has been linked to child overweight. Parental control behaviours have been assumed to be exogenous to the child, but emerging evidence suggests they are also child-responsive. This study tests the hypothesis that parental control in early infancy is responsive to infant appetite and weight.

Subjects and methods: Participants were 1920 mothers from the Gemini twin cohort, using one randomly selected child per family. Data come from questionnaires completed when the children were approximately 8 months. Mothers completed measures of 'pressure' and 'restriction', reported feeding method (breast- and bottle feeding), rated their infant's appetite during the first 3 months, provided health professional recorded weight measurements, and reported their concerns about their infant's weight. Logistic regression examined predictors of 'pressure' and 'restriction', adjusting for maternal demographics and BMI. Interactions between feeding method and control were also tested.

Results: 'Pressure' was associated with lower birth weight (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65-0.97), greater concern about underweight (OR = 1.88, 1.29-2.75), and lower infant appetite (OR = 0.59, 0.47-0.75). 'Restriction' was associated with higher appetite (OR = 1.44, 1.09-1.89) and bottle feeding (OR = 2.86, 2.18-3.75). A significant interaction with feeding method indicated that infants with high appetites were more likely to be restricted only if they were bottle-fed (OR = 1.52, 1.13-2.04).

Conclusion: Mothers vary in their levels of control over milk-feeding and this is partly responsive to the infant's characteristics. They tend to pressure infants who are lighter and have a smaller appetite, and restrict infants with larger appetites if they are bottle-fed. Guidance on infant feeding may be better received if it acknowledges that parents respond to infant characteristics in order to achieve their feeding goals.

Keywords: Feeding; Infants; Parental control; Pressure; Restriction; Weight.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Appetite Regulation*
Body Mass Index
Child Development
Cohort Studies
Diet / adverse effects*
Feeding Methods / adverse effects*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
Male
Mothers
Overweight / epidemiology
Overweight / etiology*
Overweight / prevention & control
Parenting*
Pediatric Obesity / epidemiology
Pediatric Obesity / etiology*
Pediatric Obesity / prevention & control
Retrospective Studies
Risk
Self Report
United Kingdom / epidemiology
Weight Gain

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding