Maternal infant-feeding style and children's adiposity at 5 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between maternal infant-feeding style and adiposity in childhood and to determine whether feeding style explains any of the association between maternal obesity and childhood adiposity.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Cincinnati metropolitan area.


METHODS
A total of 313 preschool children; 80% were white and 20% were black.


METHODS
Seven factors describing maternal infant-feeding style derived from the Infant Feeding Questionnaire administered at age 3 years; maternal obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher before pregnancy; and adiposity at 5 years of age as assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
The mean +/- SD fat mass was 4.55 +/- 1.64 kg. Seventeen percent of the mothers were obese before pregnancy. Children whose mothers had high concern about the infant overeating or becoming overweight (the highest tertile of the "overeating" factor) had 0.67 kg (95% confidence interval, 0.31-1.03 kg) higher fat mass than children whose mothers did not have high concern (the other 2 tertiles). None of the other 6 feeding factors were related to childhood adiposity. Children of obese mothers had 0.54 kg (95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.98 kg) higher fat mass than children of nonobese mothers. High concern about the infant overeating, which was more common in obese mothers, accounted for 15% of this 0.54-kg difference.


CONCLUSIONS
High maternal concern about an infant overeating or becoming overweight was associated with higher adiposity at 5 years of age and explained some of the association between maternal obesity and child adiposity.
Burdette
Hillary L
HL
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. burdette@email.chop.edu
Whitaker
Robert C
RC
Hall
Waynitra C
WC
Daniels
Stephen R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires