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 journalArticle

54 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 ob-served 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
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2006

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