The Development of Eating Behavior in Infancy: Associations With Behavior, Diet, and Growth at School Age

The Development of Eating Behavior in Infancy: Associations With Behavior, Diet, and Growth at School Age

This study will examine children's eating behavior. The study will enroll approximately 400 participants (200 child/parent pairs).

At certain time points, participants will engage in activities involving the presentation of food and the observation of behavioral responses to these presentations, as well as the completion of questionnaires

This research study is a complex, long term investigation of the relationships between children's eating behaviors, and parent-child interaction during eating and their associations with BMI and dietary intake. It builds on earlier observational research which, like this research, had small experimental components used to classify children into different phenotypic groups based on different responses to the experimental conditions. The small activities and experiments of this follow up study constitute a trial as defined by NIH, registered here. The exploratory outcomes measured from these activities are not listed in this registration for reasons of scientific integrity. To be clear, the bigger structure of this research is essentially an observational follow up study with the same children who were previously studied as infants. The goal of the project is to identify potential future intervention targets.

Inclusion Criteria for Children (ages 5-7.99) and their parents (18 and older):

• Prior participation in "The Development of Eating Behavior in Infancy" project
• Family lives within reasonable driving distance of the University of Michigan

Exclusion Criteria:

• Significant developmental delays that would impede child's ability to participate
• Foster child
• Child has developed significant health problems that affect appetite, eating, or growth.