Early Infant Temperament Research Articles

Does a mother's childbirth experience influence her perceptions of her baby's behaviour? A qualitative interview study.

Childbirth has become increasingly medicalised, which may impact on the mother's birth experience and her newborn infant's physiology and behaviour. Although associations have been found between a mother's subjective birth experience and her baby's temperament, there is limited qualitative evidence around how and why this may occur. This qualitative study aimed to explore mothers' childbirth and postnatal experiences, perceptions of their baby's early behavioural style, and whether they saw these as related. A qualitative semi-structured interview schedule collected rich in-depth data. Twenty-two healthy mothers over 18 years of age and with healthy infants aged 0-12 months born at term, were recruited from Southwest regions of England and Wales. Thematic analysis was performed on the data. Mothers experienced childbirth as a momentous physical and psychological process. However, they did not necessarily perceive the birth as affecting their baby's early behaviour or temperament. While some mothers drew a direct relationship, such as linking a straightforward birth to a calm infant, others did not make an explicit connection, especially those who experienced a challenging birth and postnatal period. Nevertheless, mothers who had a difficult or medicalised birth sometimes reported unsettled infant behaviour. It is possible that mothers who feel anxious or depressed after a challenging birth, or those without a good support network, may simply perceive their infant as more unsettled. Equally, mothers who have been well-supported and experienced an easier birth could be more likely to perceive their baby as easier to care for. Childbirth is a physical and psychological event that may affect mother-infant wellbeing and influence maternal perceptions of early infant temperament. The present findings add to prior evidence, reinforcing the importance of providing good physical and emotional support during and after childbirth to encourage positive mother-infant outcomes.

Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament.

ObjectiveTo examine how physical and psychological childbirth experiences affect maternal perceptions and experiences of early infant behavioural style (temperament).BackgroundUnnecessary interventions may disturb the normal progression of physiological childbirth and instinctive neonatal behaviours that facilitate mother–infant bonding and breastfeeding. While little is known about how a medicalised birth may influence developing infant temperament, high impact interventions which affect neonatal crying and cortisol levels could have longer term consequences for infant behaviour and functioning.MethodsA retrospective Internet survey was designed to fully explore maternal experiences of childbirth and her postnatal perceptions of infant behaviour. Data collected from 999 mother–infant dyads were analysed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple analyses of covariance, employing the Bonferroni method of correction to establish initially significant variables. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine major perinatal contributors to perceived early infant temperament.ResultsMultiple regression analyses on each of the eight Mother and Baby Scales outcome variables indicated that early infant behavioural style (0–6 months) was largely predicted by subjective maternal states during and post-childbirth, postnatal depression scores, maternal personality traits and infant age. For example, infant age (Beta = 0.440, p = 0.000) was the most significant predictor of Alert-Responsive infant behaviour, followed by maternal Postnatal Positive experience (Beta = 0.181, p = 0.000). In contrast, depression (EPDS) scores (Beta = 0.370, p = 0.000) were the most significant predictor of Unsettled-Irregular infant behaviour, followed by Anxious-Afraid Birth Emotions (Beta = 0.171, p = 0.000) and infant age (Beta = −0.196, p = 0.000). Mothers also perceived their infants as more Alert-Responsive (Beta = 0.080, p = 0.010) and Easier overall (Beta = 0.085, p = 0.008) after a Supported birth experience.ConclusionMaternal and infant outcomes were influenced by multiple physical and psychological perinatal variables. The mother’s subjective experience appeared to be of equal significance to more objective factors (e.g. birthplace/mode). Social support enhanced the mother’s childbirth experience, benefitting her perceptions of her baby’s early temperament. These findings provide further support for current World Health Organisation intrapartum guidelines (2018) on the importance of making childbirth a ‘positive experience’ for women.

Self-control in early childhood: Individual differences in sensitivity to early parenting.

This study extends existing research on the role of infant temperament as a moderator of the association between the quality of parent-child relationships and children's self-control during the pre-school years. In particular, we focus on the potential moderating role of a dimension of early infant temperament known as behavioral inhibition. Assumptions formulated within the diathesis-stress, the vantage-sensitivity, and the differential susceptibility models of individual differences in environmental sensitivity are tested. Data are from the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative birth cohort of 18,552 infants born in the United Kingdom during 2000/01. The results show that the quality of both mother-child and father-child relationships are associated with children's development of self-control in early childhood. Additionally, individual differences in infant temperament moderate the association between mother-child conflict and children's development of self-control. Specifically, high behavioral inhibition shows a vantage-sensitivity pattern for mother-child conflict. Aspects of both mothers' and fathers' relationships with their young children independently predict variations in self-control. This study also provides an initial indication that behavioral inhibition, a temperamental trait best-known for being a risk factor for anxiety, may provide small benefits in relation to young children's self-control development.

Association of maternal sleep before and during pregnancy with preterm birth and early infant sleep and temperament

This study aimed to investigate the association of maternal sleep before and during pregnancy with preterm birth, infant sleep and temperament at 1 month of age. We used the data of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a cohort study in Japan, which registered 103,099 pregnancies between 2011 and 2014. Participants were asked about their sleep before and during pregnancy, and the sleep and temperament of their newborns at 1 month of age. Preterm birth data were collected from medical records. Maternal sleep was not associated with preterm birth, but subjective sleep quality during pregnancy was associated with late preterm birth (birth at 34–36 weeks of gestation). For example, participants with extremely light subjective depth of sleep were more likely to experience preterm birth (RR = 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04–1.35). Maternal sleep both before and during pregnancy seemed to be associated with infant sleep and temperament at 1 month of age. Infants, whose mothers slept for less than 6 hours before pregnancy, tended to cry intensely (RR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.09–1.20). Maternal sleep problems before and during pregnancy were associated with preterm birth and child sleep problems and temperament.

Early infant temperament shapes the nature of mother-infant bonding in the first postpartum year

ObjectiveThis study examined longitudinal relations between maternal bonding and infant temperament in the first nine months after birth. DesignOur sample consisted of 281 women, enrolled at five maternity hospitals, who completed questionnaires during the first week (T1), at six weeks (T2) and nine months postpartum (T3). Maternal bonding was assessed using the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale at T1 and T2 and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at T3. Infant temperament was measured using the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire, completed by the mothers at T2 and T3. ResultsThe results of a path model showed a long-term effect flowing from the child to the mother, with infant temperament at T2 predicting maternal bonding at T3 over and above stability in bonding. At T3, bonding was linked more strongly to child temperament at T2 than to child temperament assessed concurrently at T3. Maternal bonding did predict infant temperament, but this was true only of bonding reported at T1 and infant temperament at T2, that is, not of bonding assessed at T2 and infant temperament at T3. ConclusionOur results indicate that maternal bonding in the first week postpartum may temporarily affect child temperament, but infant’s temperament several weeks after birth – rather than several months postpartum – plays a pervasive role in shaping the long-lasting nature of the mother-child relationship. Our findings thus seem to support the suggestion that the early postpartum weeks represent an important period in the development of maternal bonding.

Specific relations of dimensional anxiety and manifest anxiety disorders during pregnancy with difficult early infant temperament: a longitudinal cohort study

Anxiety in the antenatal period is a common experience, associated with adverse consequences for mother and child. Specific types of prenatal anxiety may have unique associations with infant temperament. This study examines the prospective relationships between general prenatal anxiety, fear of childbirth, and specific prenatal anxiety disorders and early infant temperament 8 weeks postpartum. Data were derived from the Akershus Birth Cohort (ABC), a longitudinal cohort study which targeted all women scheduled to give birth at Akershus University Hospital, Norway. Psychometric measures pertained to general prenatal anxiety (Hopkins Symptom Checklist), fear of childbirth (Wijma delivery expectancy questionnaire), screening for manifest prenatal anxiety disorders based on questions from the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview, and difficult infant temperament (Infant Characteristics Questionnaire). The sample for the present study included 2206 women. General prenatal anxiety, fear of childbirth, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia presented unique significant prospective contributions to difficult infant temperament 8 weeks postpartum. Separate hierarchical regression models indicated that general prenatal anxiety and fear of childbirth provided the strongest unique contributions. Considering the burden on mothers and the potential long-term effects on child development, the findings of this study highlight the importance of screening women for different types of prenatal anxiety in routine obstetric care. Clinical awareness of the condition and its consequences is warranted. Due to the complexity of infant temperament as a construct with various influences, future research should consider mechanisms and influential factors pertaining to the relationship between prenatal anxiety and infant temperament.

The Influence of Early Temperament on Language Development: The Moderating Role of Maternal Input.

Temperament is an individual aspect that strictly affects infants and children engagement with the environment and it is supposed to play a role in the acquiring of new competences. Several studies focused on the possible influence of temperament in the process of language acquisition in early childhood reporting not consistent findings. Since maternal input is a variable that has been widely associated with infant language development this longitudinal study aimed to explore the role of the quality of maternal input in the temperament-language association. We hypothesized that the longitudinal association between early infant temperament and language production is moderated by the quality of maternal input during the first year of life. Infant temperament at 3 months and maternal linguistic input (lexical diversity and syntactic complexity) during spontaneous mother–infant interactions at 6, 9, and 12 months were assessed. Language competences were evaluated at the end of the second year: language production at 18 months with the CDI and child syntactic complexity at 24 months during spontaneous speech. Results showed significant moderating effects of syntactic complexity and lexical variability of maternal input at 6 and 9 months on the association of duration of orienting abilities and later language production. Infants with greater attentional abilities and with mothers who spoke to them with a more complex and variable input showed the better language outcomes. The association between infant distress to limitations and child language was not moderated by maternal input. No effects were found when considering the temperamental scale smile and laugher. Attentional control temperamental characteristics could help the infant to be more focus on maternal input throughout the first year of life and could consequently facilitate language development. Our findings underlined the necessity to explore infant development considering the interaction between individual and contextual factors.

Extending Models of Sensitive Parenting of Infants to Women at Risk for Perinatal Depression

SYNOPSISObjective. Recognizing that not all mothers at risk for depression engage in insensitive parenting, this study examined predictors of individual differences in sensitive parenting of infants by mothers with histories of depression, who are at elevated risk for depression during the perinatal period. Design. We examined maternal personal characteristics, context, and early infant temperament as predictors of sensitive parenting. Seventy-six women with a history of major depression were followed through pregnancy and postpartum and observed during play and feeding interactions with their 12-month-old infants. Results. Maternal personal characteristics (recurrence of clinically significant depression symptom levels during pregnancy or postpartum and higher trait anxiety), context (lower social context and lower income), and early infant temperament (higher negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, and orienting/regulation) are often associated with less sensitive parenting, with stronger and clearer associations for play than feeding and with some differences based on whether sensitivity was defined as affective matching or rated sensitivity. Conclusions. The findings extend support for multi-determination of sensitive parenting of infants to women with histories of depression, albeit with small to medium effect sizes, and suggest ways to identify those who may be most at risk for insensitive parenting and the potential value of intervening in pregnancy to enhance subsequent sensitivity of parenting.

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION DURING PREGNANCY AND TEMPERAMENT IN EARLY INFANCY: FINDINGS FROM A MULTI-ETHNIC, ASIAN, PROSPECTIVE BIRTH COHORT STUDY.

Maternal antenatal mood is associated with negative infant temperament. This link has not been substantiated in Asian populations. We evaluated the association between antenatal maternal mood and infant temperament among Asian mother-infant pairs. Antenatal maternal depression and anxiety were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J. Cox, J. Holden, & R. Sagovsky, 1987) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (C. Spielberger, R. Gorsuch, R. Lushene, P. Vagg, & G. Jacobs, 1983), respectively, at 26 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months' postnatally. Infant temperament was evaluated with the Early Infant Temperament Questionnaire (B. Medoff-Cooper, W.B. Carey, & S.C. McDevitt, 1993) at 3 months. Factor analysis was performed to extract culturally relevant categories of temperamental traits. Linear regression was performed to examine the influences of antenatal maternal mood on the factor-model-derived infant temperament. Of the 609 mothers, 11% met risk criteria for depression, 17% for state-anxiety, and 19% for trait-anxiety during pregnancy. Factor analysis yielded three infant temperament factors: Emotionality and Attentional Regulation, Sensory Reactivity, and Regularity and Motor Expression, Cronbach's αs = 0.613, 0.712, and 0.752, respectively. Maternal antenatal state-anxiety, p < .001, and trait anxiety, p = .005, were associated with negative emotionality and poor attentional regulation, especially among Chinese, whereas depression was not, p = .090. There was an association between maternal antenatal anxiety and negative infant temperamental traits in this Asian sample.

Breastfeeding and maternal sensitivity predict early infant temperament.

Research findings are inconclusive when it comes to whether breastfeeding is associated with the mother-infant relationship or infant temperament. We examined the association between breastfeeding at three months postpartum and infant temperament at 18 months postpartum and whether this link was affected by the mothers' anxiety and mediated by her sensitivity. We assessed 170 mothers for breastfeeding and anxiety using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at three months postpartum, maternal sensitivity using the Ainsworth Sensitivity Scale at six months postpartum and infant temperament using the Early Childhood Behaviour Questionnaire at 18 months postpartum. Mothers who breastfed at three months postpartum were more sensitive in their interactions with their infants at six months postpartum, and elevated sensitivity, in turn, predicted reduced levels of negative affectivity in infant temperament at 18 months postpartum. This indirect mediation persisted after controlling for confounders (effect ab = -0.0312 [0.0208], 95% CI = -0.0884 to -0.0031). A subsequent analysis showed that the mediation through sensitivity only occurred in women experiencing higher anxiety, with a STAI score ≥33.56 at three months (ab = -0.0250 [0.0179], 95% CI = -0.0759 to -0.0013). Our results suggest that breastfeeding and maternal sensitivity may have a positive impact on the early development of infant temperament.

Maternal anxiety following delivery, early infant temperament and mother's confidence in caregiving.

A mother's emotional state is a well-known environmental factor that relates to the development of infant temperament. However, some relevant issues have not yet been fully explored. The current study examines the influence of determined maternal, contextual and perinatal variables on infant temperament and the mother's confidence in caregiving during the first weeks of life. A prospective study was carried out in three-hundred and seventeen newborns and their mothers. Perinatal and socio-demographic variables were recorded. The mother's anxiety and mood were measured in the first days after childbirth and again at 8 weeks. Infant temperament and the mother's confidence in caregiving were measured at 8 weeks. A mother's postpartum anxiety following delivery was the best predictor for most of the variables of infant temperament, including infant irritability (p = .001), and other child variables like infant sleep (p = .0003) and nursing difficulty (p = .001). Contextual-family variables, such as the number of people at home (p = .0024) and whether they were primiparous (p = .001), were the best predictors for a mother's confidence in caregiving. Support was found for an early effect of maternal anxiety on infant temperament. The results have clinical implications for postnatal psychological interventions.

Association of Early Infant Temperament to Weight Gain Velocity and Intake in 3-Month-Old Infants

Association of Early Infant Temperament to Weight Gain Velocity and Intake in 3-Month-Old Infants

Infant temperament and childhood psychiatric disorder: longitudinal study

Temperamental characteristics emerge early in life and can shape children's development, adjustment and behaviour. We aimed to investigate the association between early infant temperament and later childhood psychiatric disorder in a community sample. This prospective, population-based study used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). In a sample of 7318 children, we investigated whether temperamental characteristics assessed at the ages of 6 months and 24 months are associated with an independent diagnosis of psychiatric disorder ascertained at age 7 years. After adjusting for confounders, temperamental characteristics assessed at 6 and 24 months of age were associated with psychiatric disorder at age 7 years. In particular, intensity of emotional reaction at age 6 months was associated with later disorder (adjusted odds ratio = 1.56; 95% confidence interval 1.19, 2.04; P = 0.002). These associations were stronger in girls and in those children with high levels of intensity at both 6 and 24 months of age. Temperamental characteristics involving high levels of emotional intensity within the first year of life are longitudinally associated with psychiatric disorder in mid-childhood, suggesting that the roots of psychiatric disorder may, in some cases, lie very early in life.

Binge alcohol exposure once a week in early pregnancy predicts temperament and sleeping problems in the infant

BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure can cause several cognitive and behavioral difficulties. Few studies have investigated the associations with infant temperament or sleeping patterns. Our aim was to study potential associations between early prenatal binge exposure and infant temperament and sleeping pattern. MethodsIn a population based longitudinal study, representative of pregnant women in Oslo, questionnaires were answered at 17 and 30weeks of pregnancy and 6months after term. Two factors, difficult temperament and sleeping problems, were identified using Principal Component Analysis and dichotomized at the least optimal 14–15%. Logistic regression analyses identified predictive factors. ResultsMaternal binge drinking (≥5 drinks per occasion) once a week during pregnancy week 0–6 significantly predicted both difficult temperament (Odds Ratio OR 3.3**; 95% Confidence interval CI 1.4–7.9) and sleeping problems (OR 5.3**; 95% CI 2.1–13.7) in the infant, after adjusting for other confounding factors. Including binge drinking more often than once a week, further increased the OR of sleeping problems (6.0***; 2.7–13.7). Prenatal maternal depressive symptoms also predicted both outcomes. Reduced birth weight predicted difficult temperament. Maternal satisfaction with life reduced the probability of sleeping problems. Maternal smoking, and work stress, during pregnancy had no predictive power. The results were not explained by binge drinking later during pregnancy or higher consumption per occasion. ConclusionsBinge drinking once a week during pregnancy week 0–6 had stronger predictive power of difficult temperament and sleeping problems during infancy, than other covariates. The findings support advising women to avoid binge drinking when planning pregnancy.

Association between 5-HTTLPR and negative emotion and self-regulation in infants

To examine the effect of a specific gene on early infant temperament, the present study investigated the effect of a functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) on negative emotion and self-regulation in 280 6-month-old infants. Negative emotion and self-regulation were examined while positive and negative stimuli were presented to infants during laboratory observation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the 5-HTTLPR genotype. The results indicated that negative emotion was not associated with 5-HTTLPR. However, self-regulation in infants was significantly associated with 5-HTTLPR, and moderated by gender.

Effect of maternal antepartum psychological therapy upon early infant temperament

To find out whether there was any change in early infant temperament after mothers had received group psychological therapy on depression and anxiety during pregnancy period. A total of 800 subjects meeting the inclusion criteria, without the exclusion criteria and willing to sign the informed consent were recruited randomly from Shanghai International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital in their l6th-20th weeks of pregnancy. They were randomized into the therapy group and the control group by the doll randomization table. Women in the therapy group would have a group psychological therapy for 6 times, 1.5 hours each time, while the control group not. The group psychological therapy included therapist introduction and participatory discussion. The therapy concerned the antepartum and postpartum depression, the risk factors concerned with antepartum and postpartum depression, antepartum and postpartum anxiety, psychological defense theory, reflex training and spouse lesson. Mothers reported their babies' infant temperament by filling the early infant temperament questionnaire (EITQ) within 3 months post-delivery. The percent of easy infant temperament type was 87.9% in the psychological therapy group and 81.7% in the hard group. And there was significant difference between two groups (chi2 = 4.530, upsilon=1, P = 0.033). And there were significant differences in the dimensions of approach-withdrawal and threshold of responsiveness in infant temperament between two groups. The maternal antepartum psychological therapy can increase the ratio of easy infant temperament. And it has effects upon the temperament dimensions of approach-withdrawal and threshold of responsiveness.

Hurricane Katrina-Related Maternal Stress, Maternal Mental Health, and Early Infant Temperament

To investigate temperament in infants whose mothers were exposed to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, and to determine if high hurricane exposure is associated with difficult infant temperament. A prospective cohort study of women giving birth in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA (n = 288) in 2006-2007 was conducted. Questionnaires and interviews assessed the mother's experiences during the hurricane, living conditions, and psychological symptoms, 2 months and 12 months postpartum. Infant temperament characteristics were reported by the mother using the activity, adaptability, approach, intensity, and mood scales of the Early Infant and Toddler Temperament Questionnaires, and "difficult temperament" was defined as scoring in the top quartile for three or more of the scales. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between hurricane experience, mental health, and infant temperament. Serious experiences of the hurricane did not strongly increase the risk of difficult infant temperament (association with three or more serious experiences of the hurricane: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-3.58 at 2 months; 0.58, 0.15-2.28 at 12 months). Maternal mental health was associated with report of difficult infant temperament, with women more likely to report having a difficult infant temperament at 1 year if they had screened positive for PTSD (aOR 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-5.41), depression, (aOR 3.16, 95% CI 1.22-8.20) or hostility (aOR 2.17, 95% CI 0.81-5.82) at 2 months. Large associations between maternal stress due to a natural disaster and infant temperament were not seen, but maternal mental health was associated with reporting difficult temperament. Further research is needed to determine the effects of maternal exposure to disasters on child temperament, but in order to help babies born in the aftermath of disaster, the focus may need to be on the mother's mental health.

Prenatal origins of temperamental reactivity in early infancy

Background Temperament theory has long considered individual differences in reactivity and regulation to be present at birth. Recent evidence suggests that such differences may be present prenatally and moderated by maternal emotionality. Aims To determine whether induced maternal emotional activation generates a fetal response and whether observed fetal responsivity is associated with early infant temperament. Study design Women viewed an emotionally evocative labor and delivery documentary at 32 weeks gestation while physiological indices were evaluated and their infant's temperament was assessed at 6 weeks postnatal age. Subjects Participants were 137 pregnant women and their infants. Outcome measures Maternal physiological (heart rate and skin conductance) and fetal neurobehavioral (heart rate and motor activity) data were collected during gestation in response to the stimulus. Infant temperament (irritability and consolability) data were based on observational methods after birth. Results Fetuses reacted to maternal viewing of the video with decreased heart rate variability, fewer motor bouts, and decreased motor activity. There was correspondence between the nature of individual maternal physiological responses to the full video, as well as phasic responses to a graphic birth scene, and fetal responsivity. Fetuses that reacted more intensively to maternal stimulation were significantly more likely to become infants that demonstrated greater irritability during a developmental examination at 6 weeks of age. Discussion These results support the presumption that early postnatal temperamental characteristics emerge during the prenatal period.

Relationship between sleep/wake patterns, temperament and overall development in term infants over the first year of life

Background This study sought to assess the relationship between the development of infant sleep/wake patterns, temperament and overall mental, motor and behavioural development over the first year of life. We hypothesised that infants with more regular sleep/wake patterns and longer sleep durations would have an easier temperament and higher developmental scores. Study design Sleep/wake characteristics were recorded with the use of both parental sleep diary and actigraphy (Actiwatch AW64, Mini Mitter Company Inc, Sunriver, OR, USA) in 20 healthy term infants at monthly intervals over the first year of life. Temperament was assessed using the Early Infant Temperament Questionnaire (EITQ) at 3 months and the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire (RITQ) at 6 and 11 months and mental, motor and behavioural development at 12 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II). Results At all 3 ages studied increased nocturnal sleep was correlated with increased approachability. In addition, at 11 months increased diurnal sleep duration was also correlated with increased rhythmicity and adaptability. At 12 months of age decreased daytime sleep duration was correlated with emotional regulation. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of considering maturational and regulatory aspects of sleep when evaluating infant daytime behaviour. We suggest that concerns regarding sleep characteristics should become a significant aspect of clinical assessment and diagnosis of developmental delay or behaviour problems, particularly in the first year of life.

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

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.