Early infant temperament is related to food intake but not weight gain in 3‐month old formula‐fed infants.

Abstract

Background: There is a paucity of data on the correlation between infant temperament, formula intake, and weight gain in healthy young term infants less than six months of age. Aim: To determine if infants who have more difficult temperaments, have larger formula intakes, and are thus more susceptible to weight gain. Methods: Two hundred thirty-two parents in the Philippines with newborn infants were enrolled in a four-month, randomized, double-blind, and parallel study comparing the growth and safety of two infant formulas. At study infant 3 months of age, 220 mothers were surveyed using the previously validated Carey Early Infant Temperament Questionnaire. Data on were analyzed using multivariate regression models (basic, complete, maximum). Results: After controlling for potential confounders, negative correlations were observed between frequency of formula intake and adaptability (p=0.0321) and frequency of formula intake and mood (p=0.0073). Similarly, negative correlations were observed between total daily formula intake and adaptability (p=0.0028), mood (p=0.0008), distractibility (p=0.0057), and manageability (p=0.0129). Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate that temperament affects the frequency and amount of formula parents provide young infants. Infants with difficult temperaments were fed more frequently and consumed more formula but did not gain more weight as compared to the infants with easier temperaments. Long-term effects of these feeding practices on later eating behaviors and weight gain need to be examined. Research supported by Wyeth Nutrition, Collegeville, PA.