An evaluation of mother-centered anticipatory guidance to reduce obesogenic infant feeding behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of 2 anticipatory guidance styles (maternal focused [MOMS] and infant focused [Ounce of Prevention]) directed at mothers of infants aged newborn to 6 months on their infant feeding behaviors at 1 year compared with routine advice as outlined in Bright Futures (BF).


METHODS
This is a cluster randomized trial. A total of 292 mother/infant dyads were enrolled at their first well-child visit to 3 urban pediatric clinics in Columbus, Ohio. Intervention-specific brief advice and 1-page handouts were given at each well visit. In addition to infant weights and lengths, surveys about eating habits and infant feeding practices were completed at baseline and 12 months.


RESULTS
Baseline data revealed a group with high rates of maternal overweight (62%) and obesogenic habits. At 12 months, the maternal-focused group gave their infants less juice (8.97 oz vs 14.37 oz, P < .05), and more daily servings of fruit (1.40 vs 0.94, P < .05) and vegetables (1.41 vs 1.03, P < .05) compared with BF mothers. Ounce of Prevention mothers also gave less juice (9.3 oz, P < .05) and more fruit servings (1.26 P < .05) than BF.


CONCLUSIONS
Brief specific interventions added to well-child care may affect obesogenic infant feeding behaviors of mothers and deserves further study as an inexpensive approach to preventing childhood obesity.
Division of Community Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns College of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826, USA. gina.french@kapiolani.org
Gina M
GM
French
Lisa
L
Nicholson
Theresa
T
Skybo
Elizabeth G
EG
Klein
Patricia M
PM
Schwirian
Lisa
L
Murray-Johnson
Amy
A
Sternstein
Ihuoma
I
Eneli
Beth
B
Boettner
Judith A
JA
Groner
D002662:Child Health Services; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010174:Pamphlets; D011203:Poverty; D014505:Urban Population