The association of breastfeeding duration with later maternal feeding styles in infancy and toddlerhood: a cross-sectional analysis

Katherine Disantis,Eric A Hodges,Jennifer Fisher

doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-53

Abstract

BackgroundBreastfeeding modestly reduces obesity risk, yet the mechanisms are not well understood. The goal of the current research was to evaluate the association of breastfeeding duration with a wide range of maternal feeding approaches in late infancy and toddlerhood.MethodsA secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from an ethnically-diverse sample of 154 mothers of infants (aged 7–11 months) and toddlers (aged 12–24 months) was performed. Breastfeeding history was self-reported where 75% of mothers had weaned by the time of the interview. Multiple dimensions of maternal feeding approaches were measured using the Infant Feeding Styles Questionnaire which assesses pressuring, restriction, responsive, laissez-faire, and indulgent approaches to feeding. Analyses were performed separately for infants and toddlers and adjusted for maternal education level, ethnicity, and marital status.ResultsMothers of infants who breastfed for longer durations tended to report greater responsiveness to infant satiety cues (p≤0.01) and reduced pressuring in feeding complementary foods (p<0.05). Mothers of toddlers who breastfed for longer durations tended to report reduced pressuring in feeding complementary foods (p<0.01).ConclusionThese results suggest that breastfeeding may shape maternal feeding approaches related to responsiveness to infant cues as infants enter a period of complementary feeding, even after considering a range of demographic characteristics previously associated with breastfeeding behaviors. That responsiveness to feeding cues was not associated with breastfeeding duration in the toddler sample suggests that some aspects of this association might be isolated to infancy.

Highlights

Breastfeeding modestly reduces obesity risk, yet the mechanisms are not well understood
A study of 1012 mother-infant pairs found that maternal restriction during infant feeding partially attenuated the inverse relationship between breastfeeding duration and later body mass index [Body mass index (BMI)] z-score [14]
Less clear is whether the experience of breastfeeding shapes maternal control in feeding later in infancy and beyond, as the child moves into the period of complementary feeding

Summary

Introduction

Breastfeeding modestly reduces obesity risk, yet the mechanisms are not well understood. Prospective findings have provided some support for the contention that breastfeeding might entrain lower levels of maternal control [13,14,15], showing associations between longer breastfeeding duration and lower subsequent maternal restriction of infant feeding at 6- [13,15] and 12-months of age [14]. A study of 1012 mother-infant pairs found that maternal restriction during infant feeding (measured when infant was 12 months) partially attenuated the inverse relationship between breastfeeding duration and later body mass index [BMI] z-score [14]. These findings establish that breastfeeding is associated with less maternal control in the first 6–12 months of feeding. Understanding whether the experience of breastfeeding shapes subsequent approaches to and sensitivity in child feeding holds interest

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