To identify the social contextual factors, specifically the presence of information that supports v. undermines clinical recommendations, associated with infant feeding behaviours among mothers in low-income areas.

Cross-sectional survey evaluating social support networks and social relationships involved in providing care to the infant along with feeding beliefs and practices.

Out-patient paediatric and government-funded (Women, Infants, and Children) clinics in an urban, low-income area of the south-eastern USA.

Eighty-one low-income mothers of infants between 0 and 12 months old.

Most mothers reported receiving both supportive and undermining advice. The presence of breast-feeding advice that supports clinical recommendations was associated with two infant feeding practices that are considered beneficial to infant health: ever breast-feeding (OR=6·7; 95 % CI 1·2, 38·1) and not adding cereal in the infant’s bottle (OR=15·9; 95 % CI 1·1, 227·4). Advice that undermines clinical recommendations to breast-feed and advice about solid foods were not associated with these behaviours.

Efforts to facilitate optimal infant feeding practices may focus on increasing information supportive of clinical recommendations while concentrating less on reducing the presence of undermining information within mothers’ networks. Cultural norms around breast-feeding may be stronger than the cultural norms around the introduction of solid foods in mothers’ social environments; thus, additional efforts to increase information regarding introduction of solid foods earlier in mothers’ infant care career may be beneficial.

The aim of the present study was to explore knowledge of the UK weaning guidelines and the sources of weaning advice used by UK first-time mothers.

An online survey of UK parents; analysed using mixed methods.

Participants were recruited from a selection of parenting websites that hosted a link to the survey.

In total, 1348 UK first-time mothers were included in the analysis.

Knowledge of the guidelines was high (86 %) and associated with later weaning (P < 0·001), although 43 % of this sample weaned before 24 weeks. The majority of parents used multiple sources of information, the most influential being the health visitor (26 %), the Internet (25 %) and books (18 %). Fifty-six per cent said they received conflicting advice. Younger mothers and those of lower educational attainment were more likely to be influenced by advice from family, which was likely to be to wean earlier. Furthermore, those most influenced by their mother/grandmother were less likely to have accurate knowledge of the guidelines. In this population the Internet was used for weaning advice across all sociodemographic groups and was associated with a later weaning age, independently of sociodemographic factors (P < 0·001). Data from responses to a free-text question are used in illustration.

The study suggests that first-time mothers have a good understanding of the weaning guidelines but seek weaning information from multiple sources, much of which is conflicting. Informal sources of weaning advice appear most influential in younger mothers and those of lower educational attainment, and result in earlier weaning.

To describe fruit and vegetable (FV) feeding practices at 6 months, and to examine whether these practices predict children’s FV intake at 7 years of age.

A prospective, longitudinal design was adopted. The mothers completed self-reported questionnaires at 6 months and 7 years postpartum, containing questions about their child’s FV intake.

The study was carried out on a geographically representative population of infants born in Avon, UK, from 1991 to 1992, as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Information was collected from 7866 mothers of infants.

Hierarchical linear regressions were used to predict FV consumption at 7 years from the early feeding variables. Children who were given home-cooked fruit or vegetables more often at 6 months were more likely to be eating a higher proportion of FV at 7 years, than those who were given home-cooked FV less often. There was no positive difference found in consumption of FV at 7 years according to how often ready-prepared fruits or vegetables were given at 6 months. The age of introduction to home-cooked vegetables moderated the relationship between frequency of consumption at 6 months and 7 years.

The findings support the concept that exposure to FV is important in the early weaning period. The finding that consumption of ready-prepared FV was not positively associated with later FV consumption needs to be further investigated, with reference to theories of exposure, modelling and parental food choices. If vegetables are introduced later in weaning, they need to be fed frequently, to ensure adequate exposure.