Creating an optimal start during the first 1,000 days of children is an important focus for researchers and policy makers. Parents can positively influence child development through sensitive... Show moreCreating an optimal start during the first 1,000 days of children is an important focus for researchers and policy makers. Parents can positively influence child development through sensitive parenting, which is the ability to understand and promptly and adequately respond to a child’s signals. This thesis provides insight in the development of sensitive parenting from infancy to toddlerhood in primiparous mothers and fathers through longitudinal data from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States. The results demonstrate that fathers and mothers respond more sensitively to their baby in more ecologically valid contexts, i.e. during situations more representative of their daily reality, than in less ecologically valid contexts. Therefore, we recommend to take context into account when parenting skills are studied and evaluated. Next, we made a first step towards clarity on the way parents reflect on the parent-child relationship during the transition to parenthood and in relation to parental sensitivity. We found weak evidence for the theorized link between this reflection and parental sensitivity. Finally, we found that mothers and fathers are equally sensitive across the first two years, and sensitivity levels during this period increase in both parents, indicating that mothers and fathers actually do become better in sensitive parenting. Show less
Promoting healthy eating habits from infancy onwards is essential, in order to prevent children from developing unhealthy eating behavior and becoming overweight. Next to studying the role of the... Show morePromoting healthy eating habits from infancy onwards is essential, in order to prevent children from developing unhealthy eating behavior and becoming overweight. Next to studying the role of the type of food we should feed our children (What), more and more studies emphasize the importance of a positive and sensitive parent-child interaction during the meal (How). The aim of the present dissertation was to examine the relation between sensitive parental feeding behavior and health outcomes in infants and toddlers up to 24 months. Within the overarching Baby’s First Bites RCT study, 246 mother-infant pairs participated. Most important findings of the dissertation include that mothers showed less sensitive behavior during mealtimes with their toddler, than during a play session. Moreover, our video-feedback intervention VIPP-Feeding Infants was found to promote sensitive maternal feeding behavior, but only on short term. Non-results may be explained by our generally high-performing sample, as well as by the emerging picky eating phase that is likely to occur in many children during toddlerhood. Future studies should aim to test our intervention programs in families at risk, such as children with high levels of picky eating behavior or low levels of vegetable intake, or families in lower SEP neighborhoods. Show less