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Maternal perceptions of infant size and appetite and restrictive feeding style associated with rapid weight gain and overweight by 12 months
Author(s) -
Black Maureen M,
Hurley Kristen M
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.737.22
Subject(s) - overweight , weight gain , appetite , medicine , percentile , logistic regression , birth weight , developmental psychology , demography , obesity , psychology , pediatrics , body weight , pregnancy , mathematics , biology , statistics , genetics , sociology
Background Infant weight gain may be influenced by maternal perceptions of infant size and appetite and maternal feeding styles, in addition to actual infant size. Objective To examine how maternal perceptions of infant size and appetite are related to maternal feeding styles and to infant weight gain. Methods Infant weight measured at birth and 12 mos. in a statewide sample of 522 WIC infants. Rapid weight gain (RWG) = > 1 sd change in wt‐age, overweight (OWT) = wt/len > 85th percentile. Feeding styles and maternal perception of infant size and appetite assessed by telephone survey between 1‐12 mos (mean = 7 mos). Logistic regression models used to predict RWT and OWT. Results At 12 mos., 38% experienced RWG and 33% were OWT. Regardless of infant age, maternal perceptions of a heavy, hungry baby and a restrictive feeding style were related and significantly predicted both RWT and OWT at 12 mos. Birth weight was negatively associated with RWT and positively associated with OWT. Conclusion Maternal perception of infant size and appetite are related to feeding style and together, they predict weight gain at 12 mos, regardless of birth weight. Interventions to promote healthy weight gain during infancy should include considerations of maternal perceptions and feeding styles.