Pattern of mother–child feeding interactions in preterm and term dyads at 18 and 24 months

Abstract

Literature on mother–child feeding interactions during the transition to self-feeding in preterm populations is lacking, particularly through observational methods. The present research study aims to look at the longitudinal patterns of mother–toddler feeding interactions, comparing preterm and full term dyads. To this end, a multi-method approach was used to collect data from 27 preterm to 20 full-term toddlers and their mothers. For each dyad, mother–child interactions were observed during the snack time at 18 and 24 months of age and then assessed through the Italian version of the Feeding Scale. Higher scores on the scale indicate a less healthy pattern of interaction. Additionally, at both points in time, mothers completed the BDI-II questionnaire as a screen for maternal depression and the child’s developmental stage was assessed using the Griffiths Scales. A series of repeated measures Analysis of Variances were run to detect differences in feeding interactions between the two groups at the time of assessment. Our results show that preterm dyads report overall higher levels of maternal negative affection, interactional conflicts, and less dyadic reciprocity during the meal compared to full-term dyads. Additionally, longitudinal data show that dyadic conflict decreases in both groups, whereas the child’s food refusal behaviors increase in the preterm group from 18 to 24 months. No differences were reported for both the BDI-II and the child’s development for the two groups. The results reveal that regardless of maternal depression and the child’s developmental stage, the two groups show different trajectories in the pattern of feeding interactions during the transition to self –feeding, at 18 and 24 months, with overall less positive interactions in preterm mother–child dyads.

Feeding Difficulties in Late Preterm Infants and Their Impact on Maternal Mental Health and the Mother–Infant Relationship: A Literature Review

“…Both the maternal psychological discomfort and the immature behavior of late preterm infants could hinder the interaction of the dyad, thus favoring a conflictual approach during feeding [28,[41][42][43]. Salvatori et al [42] showed that preterm dyads had fewer positive interactions during feeding times at 18 and 24 months than term dyads; moreover, preterm infants had increased food refusal behaviors from 18 months to 24 months.…”

“…Both the maternal psychological discomfort and the immature behavior of late preterm infants could hinder the interaction of the dyad, thus favoring a conflictual approach during feeding [28,[41][42][43]. Salvatori et al [42] showed that preterm dyads had fewer positive interactions during feeding times at 18 and 24 months than term dyads; moreover, preterm infants had increased food refusal behaviors from 18 months to 24 months. In line with these findings, Yatziv et al [43] showed that mothers of preterm infants experienced higher emotional distress than full-term mothers, were less responsive to their infant's hunger cues, showed a more intrusive attitude, and left their infants less autonomy feeding than mothers of term ones.…”

Parents’ experiences of feeding children born with oesophageal atresia/tracheo-oesophageal fistula

“…Parents with higher levels of anxiety or depression may find it more difficult to read their child's feeding cues, provide appropriate mealtime structure and cope when presented with medical conditions that impair feeding [21] . Research undertaken with ex-preterm toddlers found mothers with higher anxiety or depression were more controlling and intrusive in their mealtime interactions, hindering their child's independent feeding and this was associated with higher toddler distress, avoidance of eating and negative mealtime behaviours [25] . A recent study found 42% of children with OA/TOF presented with a feeding disorder, displaying oppositional and aversive behaviours causing stressful mealtimes [9] .…”

The relationship of eating behavior with biochemical blood parameters in children and adolescents born preterm

“…Экзогенно-конституциональное ожирение, а также часто сопутствующие ему метаболические сдвиги (дислипидемии, инсулинорезистентность) в основе своей могут иметь первичные нарушения пищевого поведения (ПП), приводящие к несоответствию объема питания и энергозатрат. Недоношенность может влиять на проблемы в питании с точки зрения нарушений физиологических процессов в раннем периоде жизнитрудностей в развитии навыков кормления, неудач в грудном вскармливании, дисфагии в раннем возрасте, кроме того, есть данные о том, что существует повышенный риск развития расстройств ПП у лиц, родившихся преждевременно [1]. Хотя связь между недоношенностью и расстройствами ПП во взрослом возрасте все еще спорна [2], следует отметить, что проблемы с питанием в детском возрасте сами по себе могут сохраняться и влиять на долгосрочный риск расстройств ПП, таких как булимия и анорексия, а также на эмоциональные и поведенческие проблемы во взрослом возрасте [3].…”