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Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by involuntary, repetitive and non-rhythmic motor and vocal tics. Despite suggestion that diet may affect tics, and the substantial research into children's diet, eating behaviours and sensory processing in comorbid disorders (e.g. ASD), research in TS is lacking. The present study examined differences between children with and without TS in parental reports of child selective eating, food preferences and sensitivity, and aimed to examine sensory sensitivity as a predictor of food selectivity outcomes in children with and without TS. Thirty caregivers of children with TS (M = 10 years 8 months [SD = 2.40]) and the caregivers of 30 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children (M = 9 years 9 months [SD = 2.50]) completed the following measures online: Short Sensory Profile, Food Preference Questionnaire for Children, Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Children with TS were reported to have significantly higher levels of food selectivity and sensory sensitivity, and less preference for fruit and vegetables than TD children. Importantly, while higher levels of overall sensory sensitivity predicted eating outcomes in the TS group, only sensitivity to taste/smell was found to be a predictor of food selectivity and preference for vegetables for both groups of children. The findings suggest that efforts to address food selectivity in children with TS may be enhanced by including strategies that address atypical sensory processing.

Feeding problems are common, with implications for nutrition, growth and family stress, placing burden on primary care services. The Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale (MCHFS) is a quick and reliable measure of feeding problems for clinical settings, but there is little examination of its relationship to commonly used research measures of parental feeding practice, child eating behaviour and observations of parent-infant interaction at mealtimes. We examined the relationships between the MCHFS, demographics and early feeding history, weight across the first year, parental report of feeding practices and child eating behaviours, and observations of maternal-infant feeding interaction at 1 year. The MCHFS, Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) and Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) were completed by 69 mothers when their infants were 1-year-old (37 male, 32 female). Infant weight was measured at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year. Mothers were observed feeding their infants at 1 year. The MCHFS was reliable (Cronbach's alpha = .90) and showed significant overlap with other measures of feeding and eating. Potential feeding problems were identified in 10 of the children (14%) reflecting similar rates in other community samples. Higher MCHFS scores were associated with lower birthweight and weight across the first year, greater satiety responsiveness, fussiness and slowness in eating, lower enjoyment of food and food responsiveness, and less observed infant food acceptance. Parents of infants with more feeding problems reported less encouragement of balance and variety in their children's diets. Conclusion: MCHFS showed good criterion validity with other parental report measures of eating and observations of mealtime interactions. MCHFS may be a useful tool for researching feeding problems in community samples.

Heightened sensitivity to sensory information has been associated with food fussiness in both atypical and typical development. Despite food fussiness and sensory dysfunction being reported as common concerns for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, the relationship that exists between them, and whether they differ between disorders, has yet to be established. The current study aimed to examine sensory sensitivity as a predictor of food fussiness in three different neurodevelopmental disorders, whilst controlling for comorbidity amongst these disorders. Ninety-eight caregivers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; n = 17), Tourette Syndrome (TS; n = 27), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; n = 27), and typical development (TD; n = 27) were compared using parental reports of child food fussiness, food preferences and sensory sensitivity. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders were reported to have significantly higher levels of both food fussiness and sensory sensitivity, with children with ASD and TS also showing significantly less preference for fruit than children with TD. Importantly, higher levels of taste/smell sensitivity predicted food fussiness for all four groups of children. In addition, taste/smell sensitivity fully mediated the differences in food fussiness between each group of neurodevelopmental disorders compared to the TD group. The findings highlight that food fussiness is similar across these neurodevelopmental disorders despite accounting for comorbidity, and that greater sensitivity to taste/smell may explain why children with neurodevelopmental disorders are more likely to be fussy eaters.

Despite guidance from the World Health Organization and the U.K. Department of Health, many mothers introduce solid food before their infant is 6 months old. The current study aimed to investigate relationships between maternal feeding behaviours (preintroduction and postintroduction to solids), infant temperament, and the timing of introduction to solid food. Eighty‐one women were recruited on low‐risk maternity units and were contacted at 1 week, 3, and 6 months postpartum. Mothers of infants (45 males, 36 females, mean birth weight 3.52 kg [SD 0.39]) completed the behaviours component of the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire via telephone interview at 3 months. At 6 months, they were observed feeding their infant solid food at home and reported infant temperament using the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire‐Revised (short form). Partial correlations (covariates: birth weight, maternal age, breastfeeding duration, and postnatal depression) revealed negative associations between age of introduction to solid food and temperament (smiling and laughter) and laissez‐faire milk feeding behaviours; and positive associations between age of introduction to solid food and restrictive milk feeding behaviours and verbal involvement during an observed mealtime. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that an infant's birth weight and the degree to which their mothers perceive them to smile and laugh are key predictors of when they will be introduced to solid food, over and above other variables of interest (e.g., maternal milk feeding behaviours, breastfeeding duration, and postnatal depression).

Research examining the relationship between breastfeeding and infant weight has generated conflicting results. Few studies account for significant covariates and many suffer methodological problems such as retrospective self-report. The current study aimed to investigate relationships between breastfeeding duration, infant weight and eating and positive maternal mealtime behaviours, whilst overcoming many of the limitations of previous research. Eighty-one women on low-risk maternity units gave informed consent and were visited at home at 1-week, 1-, 6- and 12-months postpartum. Infants included 45 males and 36 females (mean birth-weight 3.52 kg [SD 0.39]). Mothers and infants were weighed and measured and feeding information was recorded at each visit. Infant weight was converted to a standard deviation score (SDS), accounting for age and sex. Mothers reported infant eating behaviours at 12-months using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and were observed feeding their infants solid food at home at 6- and 12-months. Partial correlations (covariates: maternal age, education, BMI, smoking during pregnancy, household income, infant birth weight SDS and age introduced to solid foods) revealed negative associations between breastfeeding duration and 1- to 6- and 1- to 12-month weight gain, and 6- and 12-month weight. Breastfeeding duration was also associated with a slower rate of infant eating and greater observed maternal vocalisations, appropriateness and sensitivity. Results support a dose-response relationship between breastfeeding and infant weight and suggest that breastfeeding may encourage the development of obesity-protective eating behaviours through learning to attend to internal hunger and satiety signals. Future research should investigate whether relationships between slowness in eating and weight extend to satiety responsiveness after infancy.

Breastfeeding has a protective effect on obesity. Little is known about the mechanisms involved. Breast-milk contains cortisol, which is involved in appetite regulation (Wolkowitz, Epel, & Rues, 2001)[[Au: The references “Wolkowitz, Epel, and Rues, (2001) and Epel et al. (2001)” are cited in the text but not listed. Please check.]] and energy balance (Epel et al., 2001). This study is the first to investigate the role of breastfeeding and cortisol metabolism on weight-gain throughout the first year. It was hypothesised that breastfed infants would be lighter than formula-fed infants and that there would be a difference in their cortisol metabolism. Sixty-one infants (33 males, 28 females) and their mothers (mean age 30.0 years [SD 6.0]) were tested at 1-week, 1-, 3- and 6-months postpartum. Maternal and infant weights and feeding method were measured. Single urine samples from mothers and 24-h nappy collections were taken for cortisol metabolism analysis. ANCOVAs examining differences in infant weight showed at 1-week, there were no significant differences in weight F (2, 70) = 1.32, p = 0.27. At 1-month F (2, 65) = 3.31, p F (2, 48) = 4.10, p t (65) = −1.3, p = 0.05 and 6-months, t (48) = −2.09, p F (4, 2) = 21.31, p λ = 0.001 in steroid ratio UFF/UFE (indicative of higher cortisol) F (2, 2) = 86.99, p = 0.01. Breastfed infants have higher levels of UFF/UFE than formula-fed and mixed-fed infants ( p