Observing the mother–infant feeding interaction

Abstract

Early parenting is critical to effective attachment and a range of positive developmental outcomes for children. Feeding is a key task of early parenting and increasing evidence indicates that early feeding practices are important for the development of self-regulation of intake and food preferences which in turn are predictors of later obesity risk. However, relatively little is known about the mother–infant interaction at the transition to solids among typically developing children. This study aimed to describe parenting strategies used by mothers at the transition from milk feeding to solid food. Twenty mother–infant dyads were video-taped during a feeding interaction and data were analysed to describe maternal use of parenting strategies. It was predicted that positive feeding strategies would be correlated with lower levels of infant food refusal (IFR), higher maternal sensitivity, and better overall parenting scores. The opposite was predicted for negative feeding strategies. It was found that positive strategy use and general parenting scores were significantly correlated in the predicted direction, however maternal instruction, aversive contact, and ineffective strategy use were significantly correlated with and predictive of IFR. Additionally, it was hypothesised that maternal strategy use would deteriorate towards the end of the interaction, and this hypothesis was partially supported: significantly more negative strategy use was observed in the last third of the interaction, whilst positive strategy use remained consistent through the feeding interaction. The findings have important implications for early feeding parent education and intervention programmes.

Keywords:

• parenting
• transitional period
• early feeding
• infancy
• parenting strategies

Notes on contributors

Alina Morawska is a Deputy Director (Research) at the Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland. She is a clinical psychologist and her research interests are in the prevention and early intervention of infant and child behavioural and emotional problems, particularly in a health context. She has published over thirty articles and book chapters and numerous clinical resources. She is a Director of AACBT Ltd.

Rachel Laws is an alumnus of the University of Queensland, with a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences.

Nicole Moretto is a Clinical Psychologist in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicole was awarded her Master of Clinical Psychology at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at The University of Queensland, Australia in 2009 and has conducted research in the area of maternal feeding practices and infant-feeding interactions.

Professor Lynne Daniels is a dietitian with over 30 years' experience across clinical practice, teaching and research. She has over 80 publications and has secured more than $9 million of research funding from nationally competitive schemes, government and industry. She has a long standing interest in early child nutrition, including feeding practices as a modifiable determinant of childhood obesity.