Mindless feeding: Is maternal distraction during bottle-feeding associated with overfeeding?

Abstract

Mindless eating, or eating while distracted by surrounding stimuli, leads to overeating. The present study explored whether "mindless feeding," or maternal distraction during bottle-feeding, is associated with greater infant formula/milk intakes and lower maternal sensitivity to infant cues. Mothers and their ≤24-week-old bottle-feeding infants (N = 28) visited our laboratory for a video-recorded feeding observation. Infant intake was assessed by weighing bottles before and after the feedings. Maternal sensitivity to infant cues was objectively assessed by behavioral coding of video-records using the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale. Maternal distraction was defined as looking away from the infant >75% of the feeding; using a mobile device; conversing with another adult; or sleeping. Twenty-nine percent (n = 8) of mothers were distracted. While differences in intakes for infants of distracted vs. not distracted mothers did not reach significance (p = 0.24), the association between distraction and infant intake was modified by two dimensions of temperament: orienting/regulation capacity (p = 0.03) and surgency/extraversion (p = 0.04). For infants with low orienting/regulation capacity, infants of distracted mothers consumed more (177.1 ± 33.8 ml) than those of not distracted mothers (92.4 ± 13.8 ml). Similar findings were noted for infants with low surgency/extraversion (distracted: 140.6 ± 22.5 ml; not distracted: 78.4 ± 14.3 ml). No association between distraction and intake was seen for infants with high orienting/regulation capacity or surgency/extraversion. A significantly greater proportion of distracted mothers showed low sensitivity to infant cues compared to not distracted mothers (p = 0.04). In sum, mindless feeding may interact with infant characteristics to influence feeding outcomes; further experimental and longitudinal studies are needed.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02111694.

Keywords: Bottle-feeding; Mindless eating; Mindless feeding; Mother-infant feeding interactions; Obesity prevention; Overfeeding.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1. Infant age trended towards moderating the association between maternal distraction and infant intake

When infants were older (11–24 weeks of age), there was a trend towards infants of distracted mothers consuming more than infants whose mothers were not distracted (p = 0.09). Maternal distractedness was not associated with amount consumed for younger infants (1.6–10.9 weeks of age; p = 0.99).

Figure 2. Mothers’ perception of infants’ orienting/regulation capacity moderates the association between maternal distraction and infant intake

For infants low in orienting/regulation capacity (self-regulation skills), those whose mothers were distracted consumed significantly more formula/milk than infants whose mothers were not distracted (p = 0.03). However, when mothers were not distracted, infants who were low in orienting/regulation capacity consumed significantly less than infants who were high in orienting/regulation capacity (p = 0.04). Different letters between and among groups indicate significant differences in amounts consumed (p

Figure 3. Mothers’ perception of infants’ surgency/extraversion moderates the association between maternal distraction and infant intake

Among infants low in surgency/extraversion, formula/milk intake was significantly higher when mothers were distracted compared to when mothers were not distracted (p = 0.03). When infants were high in surgency/extraversion, there was no significant difference in formula/milk intake between infants of distracted versus not-distracted mothers (p = 0.54). Different letters between and among groups indicate significant differences in amounts consumed (p