Crystabel Appah
Research Mentor: Amanda Crandall
Mentor Department: Pediatrics, Medicine
Author(s): Crystabel Appah, Amanda Crandall
Session: Session 3 (11:00 AM – 11:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 1
Abstract
This work is conducted in the CHOMP (Childhood Health: Origins in Mealtime and Play) Laboratory in the Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics under the direction of Dr. Amanda Crandall. The CHOMP laboratory seeks to identify modifiable risk factors for chronic disease early in the lifespan to inform targeted and tailored intervention strategies. The rate of feeding due to the bottle nipple can affect the infant in various ways. Although breastfeeding directly from the breast is the gold standard of infant feeding, more than 80% of breastfeeding mothers also use bottles; therefore strong recommendations for the best bottle flow rates are needed. This project is about examining the effect the bottle nipple design of infants’ feeding bottles on infants’ risk of disease and quality of life. The purpose of this study is to find the effect the type of bottle nipple used during feedings has on the relational dynamics and communication between the infant and their mother. Videos of feedings were qualitatively coded using a standardized coding scheme of dyadic mutuality to indicate various emotions and signals from the infant and mother. We hypothesize that the dyadic mutuality between mother and infant will change due to the change in bottle nipple flow rate. The findings of this project will help the field to provide more information as to how bottle design may impact relational health, and therefore their quality of life. This is important for hospitals, parents who bottle feed their children, and manufacturers of the baby bottle feedings. Ensuring strong dyadic mutuality between mother and infant is important for overall relational health throughout infancy.
