Infant temperament is associated with maternal feeding behaviors in early infancy.

Parental feeding practices shape infant eating behaviors and may impact obesity risk. For example, feeding on a schedule and using food to soothe have been associated with greater infant weight gain and future obesity risk. Most studies focus on parental determinants of feeding practices, but infant temperament might influence feeding practices parents select. Studies examining associations of infant temperament with parental feeding practices in early infancy are needed. Thus, the purpose of this cross-sectional, observational study was to test the hypothesis that infant temperament would be associated with use of food to soothe and feeding on a schedule. Mother-infant dyads (N = 98) from 3 parent birth cohort studies presented for clinic visits at infant age of 3-5 months. Mothers completed a demographic questionnaire. Feeding practices (use of food to soothe and feeding on a schedule) and maternal perceptions of 3 dimensions of infant temperament (surgency, orienting/regulating, and negative affect) were collected by survey. Spearman partial correlations were used to examine if any of the 3 infant temperament dimensions were associated with use of food to soothe or feeding on a schedule, adjusting for maternal marital status, race/ethnicity, BMI, infant age at the visit, and infant weight-for-length z-score. Greater perceived infant surgency/extraversion was associated with greater use of food to calm (Spearman partial r = 0.25, p < 0.05), but not feeding on a schedule (Spearman partial r = -0.11, p = 0.31). Greater perceived infant negative affect was associated with greater use of food to calm (Spearman partial r = 0.21, p < 0.05). Perceived infant orienting/regulating was not associated with either of the feeding practices examined. These results provide evidence that as early as 3-5 months of age, perceived infant temperament is associated with maternal feeding practices which influence infant growth outcomes.

Developing a NAPNAP Research Agenda to Guide Future Research and Quality Improvement in Pediatrics: Process, Challenges, and Future Directions.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to develop a revised pediatric Research Agenda that highlights the clinical and research priorities for pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses and is culturally sensitive and inclusive. METHOD: The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Research Committee developed the Research Agenda 2021-2026 by conducting a cross-sectional study that surveyed the membership on their research and clinical priorities in June 2020. Twenty-four priorities were identified within seven areas of focus. RESULTS: Among the 7,509 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners members, 273 (3.6%) responded to the email and 199 completed the survey. DISCUSSION: This revised Research Agenda is a bold and innovative guide for grant funding, publications, continuing education offerings, conference planning, and abstract submissions for posters and podium presentations aimed at improving pediatric health care. A discussion of the process and considerations for the future development of pediatric Research Agendas is described.

Maternal perceived stress, household disorder, eating behaviors and adiposity of women and their children.

BACKGROUND: Stress is associated with physiological and behavioral adaptations that increase the risk for obesity and related diseases in adults and children. Mechanisms linking stress to chronic disease are diverse and not fully elucidated, but research suggests stress may impact eating behaviors and increase food intake and thereby, risk for obesity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that women's perceived stress and household disorder are associated with more uncontrolled and emotional eating among women, more food responsiveness and emotional overeating among their children, and greater adiposity in both women and their children. METHODS: Women (n = 86) completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale, Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, and Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Total body fat (%) was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Linear regression models evaluated associations of perceived stress and household disorder with eating behaviors and adiposity of women and their children (4-10 years old). RESULTS: In a sample of predominantly non-Hispanic Black women (84.9%, n = 73), more perceived stress and household disorder were associated with more uncontrolled and emotional eating (p < 0.05). Women's perceived stress was not associated with their children's eating behaviors; however, household disorder was positively associated with children's food responsiveness and emotional overeating (p < 0.05). Perceived stress and household disorder were not associated with adiposity of women or their children. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest household disorder may be a factor for home-based interventions to consider when addressing eating behaviors among families with children.

Development of an Individualized Responsive Feeding Intervention-Learning Early Infant Feeding Cues: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Study.

BACKGROUND: Responsive infant feeding occurs when a parent recognizes the infant's cues of hunger or satiety and responds promptly to these cues. It is known to promote healthy dietary patterns and infant weight gain and is recommended as part of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. However, the use of responsive infant feeding can be challenging for many parents. Research is needed to assist caregivers recognize infant hunger or satiety cues and overcoming barriers to using responsive infant feeding. OBJECTIVE: The Learning Early Infant Feeding Cues (LEIFc) intervention was designed to fill this gap by using a validated coaching approach, SS-OO-PP-RR ("super," Setting the Stage, Observation and Opportunities, Problem Solving and Planning, Reflection and Review), to promote responsive infant feeding. Guided by the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials model, this study aims to test the feasibility and fidelity of the LEIFc intervention in a group of mother-infant dyads. METHODS: This pre-post quasi-experimental study with no control group will recruit mothers (N=30) in their third trimester (28 weeks and beyond) of pregnancy from community settings. Study visit 1 will occur prenatally in which written and video material on infant feeding and infant hunger and satiety cues is provided. Demographic information and plans for infant feeding are also collected prenatally via self-report surveys. The use of responsive infant feeding via subjective (survey) and objective (video) measures is recorded before (study visit 2, 1 month post partum) and after (study visit 5, 4 months post partum) intervention. Coaching on responsive infant feeding during a feeding session is provided by a trained interventionist using the SS-OO-PP-RR approach at study visits 3 (2 months post partum) and 4 (3 months post partum). Infant feeding practices are recorded via survey, and infant weight and length are measured at each postpartum study visit. Qualitative data on the LEIFc intervention are provided by the interventionist and mother. Infant feeding videos will be coded and tabulated for instances of infant cues and maternal responses. Subjective measures of responsive infant feeding will also be tabulated. The use of responsive infant feeding pre-post intervention will be analyzed using matched t tests. Qualitative data will be examined to guide intervention refinement. RESULTS: This study initially began in spring 2020 but was halted because of the COVID-10 pandemic. With new funding, recruitment, enrollment, and data collection began in April 2022 and will continue until April 2023. CONCLUSIONS: After refinement, the LEIFc intervention will be tested in a pilot randomized controlled trial. The long-term goal is to implement LEIFc in the curricula of federally funded maternal-child home visiting programs that serve vulnerable populations-those that often have infant feeding practices that do not align with recommendations and are less likely to use responsive infant feeding. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/44329.

Household disorder and blood pressure in mother-child dyads: A brief report.

High blood pressure (BP) is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although factors outside the home, such as crime and noise, have been associated with high BP in women and children, it is unknown if disorder within the home (household disorder) influences BP. We tested the hypothesis that women and children with more household disorder would have higher BP, independent of age, race, sodium intake, and body mass index (BMI). This study was a secondary analysis of data from mother-child dyads (n = 216). Mothers were 87% African American, 34 ± 5 years old, with BMI 33.59 ± 9.43 kg/m². Children were 7 ± 2 (range: 4-10) years of age with BMI z score 0.60 ± 2.07. Household disorder was measured by the Confusion Hubbub and Order Scale. Mother-child dyads were assessed for weight, height, BP (adults), BP percentile (children), energy intake, and sodium intake. The relationship between household disorder and BP was evaluated using Pearson's partial correlation coefficients. In fully adjusted models, household disorder was positively associated with systolic BP for mothers (r = 0.15, p < .05) and tended to be positively associated with diastolic BP (r = 0.11, p = .10). For the children, household disorder was not associated with systolic or diastolic BP percentile. This study's results suggest that household disorder is positively associated with higher BP in adult women, but not their children. Nevertheless, these data suggest that interventions to address household disorder could benefit maternal BP and potentially improve long-term CVD outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Leptin resistance in children with in utero exposure to maternal obesity and gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Leptin resistance occurs with obesity, but it is unknown if individuals at risk for obesity develop leptin resistance prior to obesity. OBJECTIVE: Investigate whether leptin resistance is independent of weight status in children at risk for obesity due to intrauterine exposure to maternal obesity or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Mother-child dyads (N = 179) were grouped by maternal pregnancy weight and GDM status: (1) normal weight, no GDM; (2) overweight/obesity, no GDM; (3) overweight/obesity with GDM. Children (4-10 years) were further stratified by current body mass index (BMI) <85th or ≥85th percentile. Leptin resistance of children and mothers was calculated as fasting leptin/fat mass index. Two-way ANOVA was used to assess whether leptin concentrations and leptin resistance differed by current weight status or in utero exposure group, after adjusting for race, sex and Tanner stage. RESULTS: Children with a BMI ≥85th percentile had more leptin resistance than those with a BMI <85th percentile (p < 0.001), but leptin resistance did not differ by in utero exposure. Similarly, leptin resistance in women was associated with weight status and not prior GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that leptin concentrations are associated with obesity but not risk for obesity based on in utero exposure to maternal obesity or GDM.

Temperature measurement in pediatrics: a comparison of the rectal method versus the temporal artery method.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between temperature readings obtained using two different electronic temperature devices: one measuring temporal artery temperature (TAT) and one measuring rectal temperature (RT). A comparative single-group design was used with each participant acting as his or her control. The sample consisted of 47 pediatric patients between 3 and 36 months of age. Data analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between TAT and RT; however, concerns related to statistical significance versus clinical significance are discussed.

Mother-child cardiometabolic health 4-10 years after pregnancy complicated by obesity with and without gestational diabetes.

Objective: Obesity in pregnancy and gestational diabetes (GDM) increase cardiometabolic disease risk but are difficult to disentangle. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that 4-10 years after a pregnancy complicated by overweight/obesity and GDM (OB-GDM), women and children would have greater adiposity and poorer cardiometabolic health than those with overweight/obesity (OB) or normal weight (NW) and no GDM during the index pregnancy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mother-child dyads were stratified into three groups based on maternal health status during pregnancy (OB-GDM = 67; OB = 76; NW = 76). Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, along with fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipids, adipokines, and cytokines. Results: Women in the OB and OB-GDM groups had greater current adiposity and poorer cardiometabolic health outcomes than those in the NW group (p < 0.05). After adjusting for current adiposity, women in the OB-GDM group had higher HbA1c, glucose, HOMA-IR and triglycerides than NW and OB groups (p < 0.05). Among children, adiposity was greater in the OB-GDM versus NW group (p < 0.05), but other indices of cardiometabolic health did not differ. Conclusions: Poor cardiometabolic health in women with prior GDM is independent of current adiposity. Although greater adiposity among children exposed to GDM is evident at 4-10 years, differences in cardiometabolic health may not emerge until later.

Describing Maternal Knowledge of Infant Feeding Practices.

INTRODUCTION: This qualitative study aimed to describe first-time mothers' knowledge of infant feeding practices, including the responsive feeding approach. METHOD: This descriptive, qualitative study enrolled first-time mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy. Participants were asked plans for infant feeding and knowledge of infant feeding cues and responsive feeding. NVivo version 11 was used to analyze data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: All mothers (n = 30) intended to breastfeed. Hunger cues such as rooting were described; cessation of eating was consistently mentioned as a fullness cue. Mothers were unfamiliar with responsive feeding yet deduced the meaning of feeding in response to infant cues. Readiness for complementary foods was described by infant age and/or health care provider recommendation; developmental readiness was not described. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest future education and research should focus on responsive feeding and readiness for complementary foods. Finding ways to assist mothers to adhere to recommendations may promote healthy infant growth and prevent childhood obesity.

Associations Among Maternal Adiposity, Insulin, and Adipokines in Circulation and Human Milk.

BACKGROUND: Insulin, leptin, and adiponectin regulate energy balance and may influence infant growth via their presence in human milk. Maternal body mass index has been associated with human milk insulin, leptin, and adiponectin concentrations, but results are inconsistent. Maternal serum hormone concentrations and fat mass may better characterize human phenotype and be more appropriate predictors of human milk insulin, leptin, and adiponectin. RESEARCH AIM: To examine the associations of human milk insulin, leptin, and adiponectin with their concentrations in maternal circulation and with maternal fat mass. METHODS: Insulin, leptin, and adiponectin were measured in serum and human milk at 1 month postpartum in 25 women. Total body fat mass and fat-free mass were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Linear regression modeling was used to examine associations of serum hormone concentrations or fat mass with human milk insulin, leptin, and adiponectin after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Serum insulin (p = .007), leptin (p < .001), and adiponectin (p < .001) were each associated with their respective concentrations in human milk. Fat mass was positively associated with insulin (p = .005) and leptin (p < .001), but not with adiponectin (p = .65), in human milk. CONCLUSIONS: Human milk insulin, leptin, and adiponectin were positively associated with their concentrations in serum, and human milk insulin and leptin were associated with maternal fat mass. Future research is needed to elucidate the role of human milk hormones in infant energy balance and growth.

Modified eating in the absence of hunger test is associated with appetitive traits in infants.

BACKGROUND: Appetite traits and feeding practices have been linked to children's weight status. For example, eating in response to food cues (high food responsiveness (FR)), and poor regulation of intake (low satiety responsiveness (SR)), increase risk for obesity. Appetitive traits of infants, and feeding practices, are typically measured by parent-report. The purpose of this study was to use a modified eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) paradigm, measuring infants' intake 30 min after a typical meal, to test whether infant acceptance of a second meal is associated with parent-reported appetitive traits or feeding practices. METHODS: Healthy infants aged 3-5 months (N = 54) were fed a typical meal and then offered a second meal by bottle 30 min later. Appetitive traits and feeding practices were assessed with surveys. Analyses of covariance were used to assess whether appetitive traits differed by acceptance of the second meal after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of infants accepted the second meal and these infants had greater parent-reported FR (M = 3.06 ±â€¯0.58 vs M = 2.43 ±â€¯0.80, p < 0.01) and lower SR (M = 1.87 ±â€¯0.62 vs M = 2.67 ±â€¯0.87, p = 0.01), compared to infants who rejected it. Group differences remained after adjusting for infant age, feeding mode, weight-for-length, and maternal body mass index. No other appetitive traits or feeding practices differed by group. CONCLUSIONS: Results expand research in older children by showing that infant response to a modified EAH protocol is associated with parent-reported FR and SR. Future research with this protocol in infants should investigate the consistency of this behavior across time and examine whether response to this protocol predicts subsequent growth.

Parental Self-Efficacy in New Mothers Predicts Infant Growth Trajectories.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) is associated with change in infant weight-for-length z score (WLZ) from age 3 to 12 months. Data were drawn from the Infant Care, Feeding, and Risk of Obesity study, conducted with low-income, African American mother-infant dyads (n = 127). PSE was measured at infant age of 3 months. Infant anthropometrics were measured at infant age of 3 and 12 months, WLZ change between these time points was calculated, and infants stratified into WLZ change categories (expected, excessive, or slow). To analyze the data, ANCOVA, multiple regression, and post hoc techniques were used. Controlling for infant birthweight, PSE at 3 months was associated with infant WLZ change (η2 = 0.05, p = .04). Mothers of infants who exhibited excessive growth had higher PSE than mothers of infants who exhibited slow growth (Tukey-adjusted p = .03). This finding suggests that infants of mothers with high PSE may have increased obesity risk, but more research is needed.

Self-efficacy, infant feeding practices, and infant weight gain: An integrative review.

It has been suggested that self-efficacy specific to parenting or feeding may influence the decisions parents make regarding infant feeding; however, a review of this topic has not been conducted. The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize the literature regarding the potential role of self-efficacy in infant feeding practices or infant weight gain. A total of 40 articles were used to guide this review, which were classified into three categories examining an association with self-efficacy (1) breastfeeding; (2) infant feeding practices such as parental feeding style and dietary quality; and (3) infant weight gain. Evidence regarding breastfeeding self-efficacy (BFSE) and breastfeeding is extensive; mothers with a higher sense of BFSE more often initiate breastfeeding and breastfeed for longer durations. The evidence regarding self-efficacy and the association with infant feeding practices other than breastfeeding is sparse. However, several studies report that mothers who have a higher sense of self-efficacy are more likely to follow infant feeding practices which align with recommendations. The authors have speculated an association between self-efficacy and infant weight gain; yet, to date, no study has found a significant association. More research is needed on the topic, particularly in diverse populations and with fathers and mothers.

Mitigating procedural pain during venipuncture in a pediatric population: A randomized factorial study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that a significant number of children receive less than optimal management of procedure-related pain. OBJECTIVES: To determine if there was a difference in the perceived pain associated with a venipuncture procedure in a group of pediatric patients based on the preparatory intervention used during the procedure and, to determine if age, sex, or ethnic group were associated with the effectiveness of the preparatory interventions used. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental, 3×4 factorial design was used. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a non-profit, regional hospital in the southeast United States. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited from children between the ages of 18 months and 17 years who were admitted to the facility. Criteria for inclusion was the first needle stick during admission with a parent or guardian present, English as the primary language. Potential participants were excluded if they had previous experience with any of the preparatory interventions, were sedated, unconscious, hemodynamically unstable, developmentally delayed for their age, or had a known chronic condition. Of the 285 participants consented to participate, 173 children completed the process including 35 (20.2%) toddlers, 34(19.7%) preschool and 65 (37.6%) school age children, and 39 (22.5%) adolescents. There were 77 (44.5%) females and 96 (55.5%) males; and 101 (58.4%) non-Hispanic white children and 72 (41.6%) minority children. METHODS: Children were randomized to one of three treatment interventions. There was a purposeful effort to include representative numbers of each age group, ethnic group, and sex and in each treatment group. Measures of pain before and after the procedure included an observational measure completed by the parent/guardian and a self-report measure completed by the two older age groups. FINDINGS: There were no statistically significant differences among treatment groups based on the observational measures of pain or the self-report measures of pain. There was a statistically significant interaction between ethnic group and treatment group (p=0.006) based on the observational measure of pain which was also found between ethnic group and treatment group (p=.04) based on self-report scores in school age children and adolescents. CONCLUSION: Findings support the use of both mechanical vibration and topical anesthetic as effective in children regardless of age group or sex. Further, the interaction between ethnic group and treatment contributes to a growing body of knowledge that suggests ethnic group is an important factor in the pain response and requires further study in an effort to better customize approaches to pain management in children.