Breastfeeding in Infancy and Food Intake in Preschool-Aged Children

Research reports that children who were breastfed as infants have a decreased risk of becoming obese. However, it is not clear how breastfeeding may prevent the development of obesity. Breastfeeding may support the maintenance of sensitivity to internal hunger/fullness cues, which helps with self-regulating energy intake. Additionally, breastfeeding may facilitate the development of a parental feeding style low in control or restriction. This type of feeding style is also associated with greater ability to self-regulate energy intake. Bottle-feeding shifts feeding control to parents, and may lead to a parental feeding style high in control or restriction, impairing children's self-regulation abilities. The aims of this study are to determine in females aged 3-5 years if: 1.) breastfed children have greater energy self- regulation capabilities; 2.) parents of breastfed children demonstrate a parental feeding style characterized by less control or restriction; and 3.) children with the greatest energy self-regulation capabilities were breastfed and have parents with feeding styles lowest in control or restriction. It is hypothesized that female, preschool-aged children breastfed and/or parented with a feeding style low in control or restriction self-regulate intake better than females not breastfed and/or parented with a feeding style high in control or restriction. A within-subjects, counterbalanced design, using a standard preloading paradigm, will measure children's ability to self-regulate intake to preloads of differing energy densities. Children and a parent will participate in two trials, with children consuming preloads high and low in energy followed by a lunch in which energy intake is measured. Lunch will be videotaped so parental feeding style during the child's lunch can be coded for restriction and control. Results will provide information about potential mechanisms by which breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity and obesity related diseases in children.