# Tuning Into Affect and Appetite in Caregivers, and Its Association With Recognising and Responding to Infant Appetite Cues

## TL;DR

Caregivers who are aware of their own hunger and emotions are better at recognizing and responding to their infants' eating cues, which supports healthy feeding practices.

## Contribution

The study shows that caregivers' ability to tune into their own appetite and emotions is linked to better responsive feeding and infant appetite recognition.

## Key findings

- Caregivers who rely on internal cues score higher in recognizing infant appetite cues.
- Alexithymia is associated with poorer recognition of infant cues and less positive mealtime emotions.
- Infant eating traits influence parental use of food to calm.

## Abstract

Positive mealtime interactions shape infant eating patterns potentially promoting appetite regulation. This study investigated whether caregivers who “tune‐in” to their own internal affect and appetite cues, can also recognise and respond to their infant's appetite cues via responsive feeding (RF). Caregivers (N = 445; mean age: 33.5 ± 4.7 years) with children aged 5–28 m participated in an online survey in August 2023. Caregivers' RF practices, mealtime emotions, eating traits, alexithymia (impaired capacity to identify and express emotions) and their infant's eating traits were administered using validated questionnaires. Recent mealtime experiences were described through an open‐ended question. Caregivers who relied on interoceptive cues in eating scored high on recognising infant appetite cues (R
2 = 0.11, F(1, 396) = 5.40, p < 0.001). Whereas caregivers with alexithymia reported poorer ability to recognise infant appetite cues (R
2 = 0.12, F(7, 399) = 7.53, p < 0.001) and less positive mealtime emotions (R
2 = 0.12, F(7, 399) = 7.49, p < 0.001) compared to those without alexithymia. Caregivers' capacity to “tune‐in” to their own internal satiation cues inversely mediated the relationship between caregivers' alexithymia and their recognition of infant mealtime appetite cues. Infant eating traits (Food Responsiveness and Satiety Responsiveness) were associated with parental use of food to calm. Overall, RF was associated with mealtime emotions, parental ability to “tune‐in” to their own affect (alexithymia) and appetite, and child's appetitive traits. Developing caregiver's awareness and responsiveness to their own and their child's affect and appetite cues may promote RF practices.

Caregivers who scored high on alexithymia might struggle with recognising their own, and their infants' hunger and satiety cues, leading to fewer responsive feeding (RF) practices and less positive mealtime experiences.Caregivers who were more in tune with their own hunger cues were better at recognising their infant's hunger and satiety signals during feeding.Future research should explore barriers for caregivers with alexithymia in adopting RF practices and ways to support them in fostering healthy eating habits in children.

Caregivers who scored high on alexithymia might struggle with recognising their own, and their infants' hunger and satiety cues, leading to fewer responsive feeding (RF) practices and less positive mealtime experiences.

Caregivers who were more in tune with their own hunger cues were better at recognising their infant's hunger and satiety signals during feeding.

Future research should explore barriers for caregivers with alexithymia in adopting RF practices and ways to support them in fostering healthy eating habits in children.