Maternal Characteristics Related to Infant Growth

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate links among maternal characteristics, maternal feeding patterns, and infant growth. Maternal characteristics included parenting styles and attitudes, stress, and affect. Mother-infant dyads (N=111) were recruited from the general population in a rural community. Dyads visited the laboratory when infants were 3, 6, and 9 months (mos.). Maternal measures included the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, Parenting Stress Index - Short Form, and Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory - 2. Infant measures included anthropometric measures and amount of formula. Primary measure of infant weight was weight per day gain (wt-d-gain) to control time between visits. Correlation, regression, and ANOVA analyses tested the five hypotheses and two research questions. Correlations confirmed hypothesis I that as daily formula at 6 and 9 mos. increased, wt-d-gain from 6 to 9 mos. increased, r = .204, p = .016 and r = .246, p = .005. The 71 infants who received no formula at 9 mos. had lower wt-d-gain from 6 to 9 mos. F (1, 109) = 8.022, p = .006, than the 40 infants who received some formula. The ANOVA for hypothesis II compared 3- to 6-mo. rapid weight gain (> .67 SD versus .67 SD weight gain had higher 9-mo weight (M = 9.1945, SD = 1.07293) than infants < .67 (M = 8.6710, SD = 1.00773), F (1, 109) = 6.022, p = .016. For hypothesis III, 3- to 9-mo wt-d-gain was predicted by SCL90-R Somatization, R2= .049, &#946; = -.002, p = .039. Infant wt-d-gain from 6 to 9 mos. and 3 to 9 mos. were predicted by birth order X depressive symptoms. In opposition to hypothesis III: for later-born children, the higher the maternal depression, the lower the child wt-d-gain. Hypotheses IV (higher maternal insensitivity is associated with greater wt-d-gain) and V (permissive parenting is associated with greater wt-d-gain) were not supported. The ANOVA for research question I revealed gender differences in wt-d-gain from 3 to 6 mos., F (1,109) = 4.435, p = .039, and 3 to 9 months, F (1, 109) = 9.894, p = .002. Analyses of research question II found no significant correlation between authoritative or authoritarian style and wt-d-gain. There was a correlation between permissive style and amount of formula at 6 and 9 mos., r = .262, p = .008 and r = .196, p = .048, respectively.Department of Human Development and Family Scienc