Methods for the analysis of feeding behaviour in infancy: Sucklings

Abstract

Feeding and food intake in the fitst 2 years of life are more complex than at any later stage, because they are inherently social, they involve the learning of a completely new type of feeding behaviour over the weaning period, and they must respond to the requirements of growth as well as to the maintenance of energy balance. The methodological simplicity of studying bottle-feeding has led to a relative neglect of behavioural studies of breast-feeding; and a strong tendency to concentrare separately either on sucking or on the intake of solid foods has led to a relative neglect of the weaning period, when sucking and the intake of solid foods occur togethet. Yet breast-feeding is of major importance to child health; and it is over the weaning period that infants are most at risk nutritionally, and most likely to develop feeding problems. In this and the following paper we outline and discuss the methods available for studying feeding in the period from birth until the child is fully established on solids, i.e. in sucklings and weanlings. In this paper we concentrate on taste preferences, sucking patterns and milk intake in sucklings, and on the regulation of milk intake. Although behavioural studies of breastfeeding are greatly outnumbered by those of bottle-feeding, we have stratified our sampling of the relevant studies so that they are, as far as possible, equally represented in this review.