Hypotheses explaining maternal compliance behavior in relation to maternal attitudes and motivations and family and social influences were explored retrospectively in families of 39 obese infants from six to twelve months of age. Maternal social support and infant characteristics were not strongly associated or predictive of maternal compliance behavior. Stressful life changes in the family were negatively associated with maternal compliance to the dietary regimen. Maternal perception of infant fatness was negatively associated with dietary compliance behavior and positively associated with study protocol compliance behavior. Demographic variables were positively associated with compliance to study protocol. Family stress, maternal health beliefs, and demographic variables outweighed social support in their power to predict compliance behaviors. Compliance to study requirements did not necessarily mean compliance to the dietary regimen. Clinical use of assessing family stress, maternal beliefs and demographic variables appears to provide additional understanding of compliance behaviors in mothers with infant feeding recommendations.

A descriptive design was used in this study to describe the feeding behaviors (as defined by changes in body position) in infants with congestive heart failure secondary to congenital heart disease. In addition, short term physiologic changes associated with the behaviors were measured through the use of pulse oximetry and cardiorespiratory monitors. Nine infants were observed in this study as they were being fed by their nurses. The method chosen was naturalistic observation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic data and the measured physiologic variables. A point by serial correlation was conducted to describe any relationships between the position changes and the measured physiologic variables. Statistically significant relationships were found between certain positions and oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiratory rate. The results indicate that infants do experience position changes that are accompanied by changes in physiologic variables during feeding. These position changes can be categorized as infant-mediated or nurse-mediated.

The purpose of this study was to investigate parental influence on treatment progression in children with feeding disorders. Children diagnosed with a feeding disorder were recruited with their parents at the Children's House at Baylor (N=22; 11 boys, 11 girls). Caloric intake was recorded daily as outcome measures of treatment progression. It was hypothesized that the initial parental participation would delay the child's progress as measured by caloric intake. Patient's average caloric intake (measured in grams) for 3 days prior to parents entering the room was compared to the average caloric intake measured for 3 days after the parents entered the room. A paired t-test was performed on the averaged caloric intake three days pre and post-parental presence, yielding significant results: t(21) = 3.17, p = .005. Caloric intake was greater prior to parent involvement (M = 811.17) as compared to after the parent entered the room (M = 704.88).