Sprouts: Development of Eating Behaviors in Early Childhood

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Inadequate intake of whole plant foods and excessive intake of discretionary foods (foods of minimal nutritional value and high energy density) begin in early childhood.Early childhood is a critical period for the development of food preferences and eating behaviors, which in turn influence child growth and adiposity, underscoring the need for research elucidating the influences on intake during this period. Poor diet quality, in particular, excess intake of discretionary foods, may in part be prompted by the propensity to engage in hedonic, or reward-related eating. The highly processed nature of discretionary foods stimulates activation of reward circuitry, contributing to their consumption for hedonic purposes, and potentially displacing intake of more healthful foods. Critical knowledge gaps remain regarding the development of hedonically-motivated food intake in early childhood and the roles of parental influences, the degree of exposure to highly rewarding foods, and other modifiable family feeding practices that shape the child's food environment. Understanding the influences on food reward sensitivity and its impact on child diet and growth will elucidate the relative importance of individual and environmental factors on eating behaviors and related health indicators and provide critical knowledge to guide future intervention to advance the development of healthful eating habits. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to follow the PEAS (Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study) cohort from child age 3 to 7 years to investigate relationships of child eating behaviors and neuro-behavioral responses to food (e.g., eating in the absence of hunger, attentional bias to food cues, food reinforcement value, self-regulation) with maternal dietary intake and food reward-related characteristics, infant feeding practices and eating behaviors, and early life exposure to discretionary foods. Recruitment for Sprouts began in March 2019. In-person data collection was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020; data collection was continued online to the extent possible until in-person visits resumed in late 2021. The first two waves of assessments at ages 3.5 and 5 years have been completed; assessments at ages 6 and 7 years are in progress. Analyses conducted in the current year demonstrated an increase in most appetitive traits from infancy to age 3.5 years and found that lower infant satiety responsiveness predicted greater child zBMI, while infant zBMI was not predictive of subsequent child appetitive traits.