Mothers’ negative affectivity during pregnancy and food choices for their infants

Objective—To investigate whether maternal negative affectivity assessed in pregnancy is related to subsequent infant food choices. Design—Cohort study. Subjects—Mothers (N = 37, 919) and their infants participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Measurements—Maternal negative affectivity assessed pre-partum (SCL-5 at week 17 and 30 of pregnancy), introduction of solid foods by month 3, and feeding of sweet drinks by month 6 (by mothers ’ reports). Results—Mothers with higher negative affectivity were 64 % more likely (95 % CI 1.5–1.8) to feed sweet drinks by month 6, and 79 % more likely (95 % CI 1.6–2.0) to introduce solid foods by month 3. These odds decreased to 41 % and 30%, respectively, after adjusting for mother’s age, body mass index, and education