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Insights into infants’ development readiness at time of solid food introduction
Author(s) -
Trabulsi Jillian Christine,
Finkbeiner Susana,
Mennella Julie A.
Publication year - 2013
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.27.1_supplement.lb362
Subject(s) - weaning , gross motor skill , pediatrics , child development , language development , developmental psychology , psychology , cognitive development , motor skill , cognition , medicine , demography , psychiatry , sociology
Despite recommendations to delay weaning until infants are 4–6 months, many mothers introduce solid foods at an earlier age. To gain insights into what aspects of behavioral development precede as well as follow weaning, we conducted an 8‐month longitudinal study of formula‐fed infants (n=79) and their mothers. Each month, beginning when the infant was 0.5 months of age, dyads visited the Monell Center whereupon we measured specific domains of infant development via the Mullen's scale and queried mothers about what foods if any were introduced to their infants’ diet. The age at which solid foods were routinely (>;4 times/month) introduced ranged from 1.3 to 8.6 months. Infants were stratified by age (month) of solid food introduction: <4 (n=20; early‐weaners), 4–6 (n=40), and >;6 months (n=8). Early weaners, at the 3.5 month visit, scored significantly higher in the domains of gross motor, visual reception, receptive language, expressive language and early learning than the other infants. By 6.5 months of age, when the majority (96.2%) of infants were routinely eating solid foods, there were no significant differences in any of the developmental measures among groups. These data suggest an association between both cognitive and motor development and the timing of which mothers begin complementing their infants’ diets with solid foods. More findings will be presented to understand the temporality of this relationship. This research was supported by grants R01HD37119 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.