Textured Food Introduction Information and Parental Feeding Practices

Effect of Information Promoting Textured Food Introduction on Parental Practices and Children Acceptance of Textured Foods

The purpose of this study is to conduct an intervention with 60 parents of 8 months old children to test the effect of recommendations, compared to usual care, promoting the introduction of textured foods between 8 and 15 months on parental practices of use of textured foods and the effect of such practices on children acceptance for a variety of textured foods.

The intervention tests the effect of providing parents with recommendations on textured food introduction between 8 and 15 months on their practices of offering of textured foods and their child's acceptance of textured foods. The intervention consists of advice and tips on the why and how introducing textured food during complementary feeding, which were not address in French national guidelines (Programme National Nutrition Santé (PNNS)) at the start of the study. Advise were developped from current literature knowledge and recommendations in other countries. They are accompanied with monthly counselling via phone calls by dietician and two baskets containing food preparation utensils and commercial textured foods. The intervention group (n=30) benefits from this intervention. The control group (n=30) receive general information on healthy eating provided by the food guides of the PNNS, phone calls collecting general information and 2 baskets containing baby gifts.

Acceptance is evaluated experimentally pre and post intervention in a laboratory setting evaluating children swallowing foods of different textures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• parents ages ≥ 18 years old
• children born full term (≥37 weeks) and with weight ≥2500 g
• children introduced to complementary feeding after 4 months and before 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• children with episode of tube feedings, chronic disease, allergy and gastroesophageal reflux requiring medication
• children introduced to complementary feeding with baby-led weaning method
• children already involved in another study on eating behaviour