Infant/Toddler Feeding Practices of Adolescent Mothers: Ethnic Differences and Intergenerational Involvement

Abstract

Approximately 500,000 teens become mothers every year, and 90% keep their babies. Problems are associated with adolescent parenting, including poor parenting skills and inappropriate infant/child feeding practices, which have developmental and health implications for the children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the range of infant/toddler feeding practices among 20 pairs of Anglo and Mexican‐American adolescent mothers and their mothers. Grandmothers were included to assess their involvement in child care. Teens often cited recommended practices but failed to follow through. Early weaning, cereal in the bottle, and providing high‐fat foods and sweets were common practices. Few understood the importance of modeling appropriate eating behavior. More Anglos had conflict with their mothers, whereas Mexican Americans had more cooperative relationships. As grandmothers were sources of dietary information, conflicts were common over this issue. Including grandmothers in nutrition education efforts may benefit adolescent mothers and their children.