Child-feeding practices in children with down syndrome and their siblings.
OBJECTIVE
To compare parental feeding practices and evaluate their relationship to weight status among children with Down syndrome (DS) and their unaffected siblings.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of sibling pairs, one child with DS (n = 36) and one child without DS (n = 36), between 3 and 10 years of age. Parents completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), which assesses six aspects of control in feeding, separately for each child. Children's height and weight were measured using standard research procedures for calculation of body mass index (BMI) and BMI Z scores (BMIZ).


RESULTS
Mean BMIZ was higher among children with DS than their siblings (1.1 +/- 0.9 vs 0.1 +/- 1.1; P <.001), but there were no between-group differences in parents' perception of children's weight status. Parents reported greater use of restriction, greater feelings of responsibility for feeding and concern about child weight status, and lower pressure to eat for children with DS than for their siblings. After adjustment for BMIZ, differences remained significant only for concern (10.6 +/- 3.5 vs 6.4 +/- 3.4; P <.002). Perceived child overweight and concern were positively associated with BMIZ, whereas pressure was inversely associated with BMIZ.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in child-feeding practices may play a role in the development of obesity in DS.
O'Neill
Kristen L
KL
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 19104, USA.
Shults
Justine
J
Stallings
Virginia A
VA
Stettler
Nicolas
N
D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035781:Siblings; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires