WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Childhood obesity occurs in 20% of children before they enter kindergarten. Treatment is difficult, making prevention desirable, but little is known about effective methods using anticipatory guidance to prevent obesity in pediatric primary care.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study provides a comparison of 2 approaches versus usual care using anticipatory guidance to improve infant feeding during the first year of life, and demonstrates positive specific feeding behavior differences at 1 year in the intervention groups. METHODS: This is a cluster randomized trial. A total of 292 mother/ infant dyads were enrolled at their first well-child visit to 3 urban pediatric clinics in Columbus, Ohio. Intervention-specific brief advice and 1-page handouts were given at each well visit. In addition to infant weights and lengths, surveys about eating habits and infant feeding practices were completed at baseline and 12 months.
RESULTS:Baseline data revealed a group with high rates of maternal overweight (62%) and obesogenic habits. At 12 months, the maternalfocused group gave their infants less juice (8.97 oz vs 14.37 oz, P , .05), and more daily servings of fruit (1.40 vs 0.94, P , .05) and vegetables (1.41 vs 1.03, P , .05) compared with BF mothers. Ounce of Prevention mothers also gave less juice (9.3 oz, P , .05) and more fruit servings (1.26 P , .05) than BF.CONCLUSIONS: Brief specific interventions added to well-child care may affect obesogenic infant feeding behaviors of mothers and deserves further study as an inexpensive approach to preventing childhood obesity. Pediatrics 2012;130:e507-e517 AUTHORS: