Background. The American Academy of
Pediatrics, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the World
Health Organization recommend that infants receive
only breast milk or formula for the first 4 to 6 months of
life, followed by the introduction of complementary
foods. Despite these recommendations, many infants,
particularly those with adolescent mothers, receive solid
foods (often cereal mixed with formula in a bottle) and
liquids other than formula or breast milk in the first few
weeks of life. Decisions on early feeding are often
guided by grandmothers and influenced by beliefs that
infants need complementary food to counteract signals of
hunger, reduce crying, and sleep through the night.
Objective. This investigation evaluated the efficacy
of an intervention to delay the early introduction of
complementary feeding among first-time, black, adolescent mothers living in multigenerational households.
The intervention focused on reducing the cultural barriers to the acceptance of the recommendations of the
American Academy of Pediatrics, WIC, and World
Health Organization on complementary feeding by highlighting 3 topics: 1) recognition of infants’ cues; 2) nonfood strategies for managing infant behavior; and 3)
mother–grandmother negotiation strategies. The intervention was delivered through a mentorship model in
which a videotape made by an advisory group of black
adolescent mothers was incorporated into a home-visiting program and evaluated through a randomized, controlled trial.
Methods. One hundred eighty-one first-time, low-income, black mothers < 18 years old, living in multigenerational households were recruited from 3 urban hospitals. Infants were born at term, with birth weight
appropriate for gestational age and no congenital problems. Shortly after delivery, mothers and grandmothers
completed a baseline assessment and mothers were randomized into an intervention or control group. Intervention group mothers received home visitation every other
week for 1 year. At 3 months, a subset of 121 adolescent
mothers reported on their infant’s intake through a food
frequency questionnaire. Mothers who fed their infant
only breast milk, formula, or water were classified as
optimal feeders. Mothers who provided complementary
foods other than breast milk, formula, or water were
classified as less optimal feeders.
Results. Sixty-one percent of the infants received
complementary foods before 3 months old. Multivariate
hierarchical logistic regression was used to evaluate the
determinants of being in the optimal versus less optimal
feeders group. After controlling for infant age and family
income, mothers of infants in the optimal feeders group
were more likely to report accurate messages from WIC
regarding the timing of complementary food and nearly
4 times more likely to be in the intervention group. The
most common complementary food was cereal mixed
with formula in the bottle.
Conclusions. The success of this relatively brief intervention demonstrates the importance of using ecological
theory and ethnographic research to design interventions
that enable participants to alter their behavior in the face
of contradictory cultural norms. The intervention focused
on interpreting infants’ cues, nonfood methods of managing infant behavior, and mother–grandmother negotiations. It was delivered through methods that were
familiar and acceptable to adolescent mothers—a mentorship model incorporating home visits and videotape.
The skill-oriented aspects of the intervention delivered
in a culturally sensitive context may have enabled the
young mothers to follow the guidelines that they received from WIC and from their pediatricians. Strategies,
such as those used in this intervention, may be effective
in promoting other caregiving recommendations, thereby
enabling providers to meet the increasing demands from
parents for advice regarding children’s early growth and
development. Pediatrics 2001;107(5). URL: http://www.
pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/107/5/e67; adolescent parenting, infant feeding, complementary feeding, home visiting, intervention.