Objective. To examine the effects of dietary experience and milk feedi
ng regimen on acceptance of their first vegetable by 4- to 6-month-old
infants. Design. Longitudinal study, of 26-days duration, observing i
nfants aged 4 to 6 months at the start of the study. Random assignment
to treatments, within-subject control. Setting. General community in
a medium-sized midwestern town. Subjects. Thirty-six infants and their
mothers. Subjects were solicited through birth records and advertisem
ents in local newspapers. Interventions. Infants were randomly assigne
d to be fed one vegetable on 10 occasions, either salted or unsalted p
eas or green beans, for a 10-day period. Outcome measures. Infant inta
ke of the vegetable consumed during the 10-day exposure period; intake
of salted and unsalted versions: (1) before the 10-day exposure perio
d, (2) immediately after the exposure period; and (3) after a 1-week p
eriod of delay. Intake of a control food was also measured before and
after repeated consumption of the vegetable. Adult ratings of the infa
nts' videotaped responses during test feedings were also obtained befo
re and after the exposure period. Results. After 10 opportunities to c
onsume the vegetable, all infants significantly increased their intake
(P < .001). Although they did not differ initially, infants fed breas
t milk showed greater increases in intake of the vegetable after expos
ure and had an overall greater level of intake than formula-fed infant
s. Adult ratings of the infants' nonverbal responses correlated positi
vely with infant intake. Conclusions. Infants increase their acceptanc
e (reflected both in changes in intake and in behavioral response) of
a novel food after repeated dietary exposure to that food. Relative to
formula-feeding, breast-feeding may facilitate the acceptance of soli
d foods.