Maternal cognitions, psychopathologic symptoms, and infant temperament as predictors of early infant feeding problems: A longitudinal study

Claire Farrow, Jacqueline Blissett

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    64 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Objective: The current study examined the contribution of prenatal and postnatal maternal core beliefs, self-esteem, psychopathologic symptoms, and postnatal infant temperament to the prediction of infant feeding difficulties. Method: Ninety-nine women completed questionnaires assessing their core beliefs, psychopathology, and self-esteem during pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum. At 6 months, mothers also rated their infant's temperament and feeding, and were observed feeding their infants. Results: Maternal reports of child feeding difficulties were predicted by higher levels of emotional deprivation and entitlement core beliefs and lower levels of self-sacrifice and enmeshment core beliefs during pregnancy. Postnatal social isolation core beliefs, lower maternal self-esteem, and more difficult infant temperament added significantly to the variance explained by prenatal factors. Maternal core beliefs, self-esteem, psychopathology, and infant temperament failed to significantly predict independent observations of child food refusal. Conclusion: Maternal cognitions are implicated in the development of maternal reports of feeding difficulty.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)128-134
    Number of pages7
    JournalInternational Journal of Eating Disorders
    Volume39
    Issue number2
    Early online date17 Oct 2005
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2006

    Keywords

    • Infants temperament
    • maternal cognitions
    • feeding difficulties

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Medicine (miscellaneous)
    • Psychiatry and Mental health
    • Food Science
    • Psychology(all)
    • Clinical Psychology

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