Table 2.
General characteristics of the 12 cross‐sectional, prospective and retrospective studies addressing baby behaviours and infant feeding
| No | Author (year), country | Study design: Infant feeding outcome | Participants (n) | Baby behaviour related to infant decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohebati et al. (2021), Mexico | Prospective. Self‐reported milk insufficiency, BF problems, maternal confidence | Primiparas mothers with healthy and full‐term infants delivered in a Baby Friendly Hospital in Mexico City, planning to breastfeed and who did not undertake paid work until infants were 6 months (n = 475) | ‘Crying frequency’ associated with ↑ lactation problem score (OR = 1.12), expectation of a baby ‘crying more than other babies’ ↑ reports of milk insufficiency at 2–4 weeks (OR = 2.07). Higher ‘crying expectations’ ↓ maternal self‐confidence (ρ = −0.16) |
| 2 | Bulut & Alemdar (2021), Turkey | Cross‐sectional. BF motivation | Mothers of infants 3 weeks to 6 months seeking paediatric outpatient care due to excessive crying and who were BF (n = 210) | BF enjoyment associated with ↑ positive thoughts (i.e., needs support, trying to communicate) about ‘infant crying’ (ρ = 0.235) |
| 3 | Wood et al. (2017), USA | One‐group pre–post test pilot intervention. Self‐reported milk insufficiency | Mother–infant dyads followed up postpartum through home visits (n = 15) | Counselling home visits associated with ↓ perception of milk insufficiency due to ‘crying’. At 6 days, score attributing milk insufficiency to crying was 2.43 and at 27 days 4.93 (lower score greater attribution) |
| 4 | Taut et al. (2016), Ireland | Cross‐sectional. BF duration | Dyads of normal weight, singleton infants and healthy mothers (n = 5955) | ‘Fussiness/difficultness’ associated with ↓ BF duration (OR = 0.98 at <90 days and OR = 0.98 at ≥90 days)a |
| 5 | Kronborg et al. (2014), Denmark | Cross‐sectional. Early introduction of complementary foodsb | Women in urban and rural municipalities who had delivered in the prior 6 months (n = 4503) | Only among primipara mothers, perception of infant as ‘not temperamental’ was associated with ↑ odds for introduction of complementary foods after week 25 (OR = 1.77) |
| 6 | Keemer (2013), Australia | Cross‐sectional. BF confidence | BF women, singleton, healthy term infant (n = 128) | 40% of women using second‐line strategies (cup, syringe, bottles, nipples shields) due to ‘unsettled infant’. Using second‐line strategies associated with ↓ BF self‐efficacy (15‐points lower score) |
| 7 | Wasser et al. (2011), USA | Cross‐sectional.c Early introduction of complementary foods | Primipara mother–infant dyads enroled in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (n = 217) | Infants perceived to have higher score on ‘temperament scale’ associated with ↑ likelihood to be fed complementary foods at 3 months (OR = 1.97 distress to limitaion, OR = 1.75 activity level) |
| 8 | Karaçam (2008), Turkey | Cross‐sectional. Early introduction of complementary foods | Mothers getting services in primary healthcare facilities with babies 0–4 months (n = 514) | ‘Frequent crying’ associated with ↑ use of complementary foods (OR = 1.687) |
| 9 | Howard et al. (2006), USA | Prospective cohort. BF duration | Mother–infant dyads at a university hospital (n = 700) | ‘Physician‐diagnosed colic’ associated with ↓ duration of breast milk as predominant source of nutrition (hazard ratio = 2.43). |
| 10 | Vandiver (1997), USA | Prospective cohort. BF duration | Primiparas married women with healthy newborns (n = 50) | Easier ‘infant temperament’ associated with ↑ BF duration (weaned their infants after 12 weeks, F = 4.67) |
| 11 | Loughlin et al. (1985), USA | Prospective. BF discontinuation | Healthy newborns who were initially breastfed (n = 94) | At 8 weeks, 30% of the mothers not BF: rating of nursery staff of infant's ‘excessive crying’ and infant's ‘demanding personality’, associated with BF cessation |
| 12 | Forsyth et al. (1985), USA | Cross‐sectional. Early introduction of formula and formula changes | Mothers of BF and FF singleton newborns (BF n = 189, FF n = 184) | ‘Excessive crying and colic’ associated with ↑ introduction of a specialty formula (11% of the BF and 25% of the FF infants given special formulas), mothers believed cause of the problem was intrinsic child (disease, allergy). |
Abbreviations: BE, breastfeeding; FF, formula‐fed; OR, odds ratio.
a
Data comes from a cohort study that included babies up to 9 months. However, in this particular study, there is a cutoff point showing that fussy babies at 90 days are more likely to have shorter BF duration.
b
Although early introduction of complementary foods (i.e., before age 4 months) is not a direct outcome of interest in the review, it is an indirect outcome of BF duration.
c
Even though the study was collected prospectively, this study only uses cross‐sectional data from the 3‐month visit.