MATERNAL SENSITIVITY, INFANT TEMPERAMENT, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY FEEDING PROBLEMS

Early feeding problems, assessed in maternal reports about general pro blems and refusal behaviors, were investigated in a normal sample (ri = 115) at the ages of 10 months and 2 years. In a longitudinal design. stability of feeding problems was studied. A model for development of nonorganic failure to thrive proposed by Chatoor (1989; Chatoor & Ega n, 1983) was used as a guide in selection of potential antecedents to early feeding problems. The predictive value of parent-rated infant te mperament and directly observed maternal sensitivity for explaining va riance in feeding problems was explored. The results showed moderate s tability for feeding problems. Feeding problems at both ages were pred icted by interactions between infant temperament and maternal sensitiv ity. At 10 months feeding problems were marginally associated with an interaction between sensitivity and infant manageability (degree of ne gative emotionality); less sensitive mothers with less manageable infa nts reported more refusal behaviors. At the age of 2 years irregular i nfants were reported to have more problems if their mothers were less sensitive to their signals. The results are discussed in relation to s tudies of more severe feeding problems in infancy, and the Chatoor mod el was found to contribute to an understanding of the development of e veryday infant feeding problems in a normal sample.