Mothers' perceptions of problems of feeding and crying behaviors. A prospective study
B. W. Forsyth, J. M. Leventhal and P. L. McCarthy
During early infancy, problems of crying, colic, spitting, and feeding
difficulties often provoke anxiety and lack of self-confidence in parents.
We studied prospectively what proportion of mothers felt that their infants
had problems of this type and determined risk factors for perceived
problems identified in the early postnatal period. The mothers of 189
breast-fed and 184 formula-fed infants completed questionnaires post partum
and responded to a follow-up interview at four months. Thirty-five percent
of mothers in each group reported that their infants had moderate or severe
problems of feeding or crying behavior. Risk factors for perceived problems
were identified using stepwise logistic regression analyses. Inquiry about,
and early attention to, risk factors may alleviate the parents' concerns
and possibly affect the development of these problems.
