Self-feeding and Communicative Development From 12 to 24 Months of Age: An Observational Study

Giulia Pecora; Francesca Bellagamba; Valentina Focaroli; Melania Paoletti; Mariarosaria Ciolli; Elisa Iaboni; Noemi Palladino; Alice Di Prete; Claire Farrow; Laura Shapiro; Amy T. Galloway; Flavia Chiarotti; Corinna Gasparini; Barbara Caravale; Serena Gastaldi; Elsa Addesi

Self-feeding and Communicative Development From 12 to 24 Months of Age: An Observational Study

Giulia Pecora, Francesca Bellagamba, Valentina Focaroli, Melania Paoletti, Mariarosaria Ciolli, Elisa Iaboni, Noemi Palladino, Alice Di Prete, Claire Farrow, Laura Shapiro, Amy T. Galloway, Flavia Chiarotti, Corinna Gasparini, Barbara Caravale, Serena Gastaldi, Elsa Addesi

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Abstract

This study examined the relations between independent eating and communicative development, both concurrently and longitudinally, using observational methods. In total, 182 Italian mother-infant pairs (Mage = 12.33; 48% females; 100% White) participated from 2020 to 2023. Infants’ gestures, vocalizations, and self-feeding episodes were coded during mealtimes at 12 months. Mothers reported on language development at 12, 18, and 24 months. Self-feeding was concurrently and positively associated with infants’ deictic gestures and simple vocalizations during the meal. Notably, self-feeding at 12 months was positively related to sentence production reported by mothers at 24 months (but not to parent-reported vocabulary size at 12, 18, or 24 months). The results suggest potential language benefits from allowing infants an active role during the mealtime.

Original language	English
Journal	Child Development
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 24 Sept 2025

Keywords

infants
self-feeding
language
communication
child-directed speech

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CD_Manuscript_Self-feeding and communicative development
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title = "Self-feeding and Communicative Development From 12 to 24 Months of Age: An Observational Study",

abstract = "This study examined the relations between independent eating and communicative development, both concurrently and longitudinally, using observational methods. In total, 182 Italian mother-infant pairs (Mage = 12.33; 48% females; 100% White) participated from 2020 to 2023. Infants{\textquoteright} gestures, vocalizations, and self-feeding episodes were coded during mealtimes at 12 months. Mothers reported on language development at 12, 18, and 24 months. Self-feeding was concurrently and positively associated with infants{\textquoteright} deictic gestures and simple vocalizations during the meal. Notably, self-feeding at 12 months was positively related to sentence production reported by mothers at 24 months (but not to parent-reported vocabulary size at 12, 18, or 24 months). The results suggest potential language benefits from allowing infants an active role during the mealtime.",

keywords = "infants, self-feeding, language, communication, child-directed speech",

author = "Giulia Pecora and Francesca Bellagamba and Valentina Focaroli and Melania Paoletti and Mariarosaria Ciolli and Elisa Iaboni and Noemi Palladino and {Di Prete}, Alice and Claire Farrow and Laura Shapiro and Galloway, {Amy T.} and Flavia Chiarotti and Corinna Gasparini and Barbara Caravale and Serena Gastaldi and Elsa Addesi",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "24",

language = "English",

journal = "Child Development",

issn = "0009-3920",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Self-feeding and Communicative Development From 12 to 24 Months of Age: An Observational Study

AU - Pecora, Giulia

AU - Bellagamba, Francesca

AU - Focaroli, Valentina

AU - Paoletti, Melania

AU - Ciolli, Mariarosaria

AU - Iaboni, Elisa

AU - Palladino, Noemi

AU - Di Prete, Alice

AU - Farrow, Claire

AU - Shapiro, Laura

AU - Galloway, Amy T.

AU - Chiarotti, Flavia

AU - Gasparini, Corinna

AU - Caravale, Barbara

AU - Gastaldi, Serena

AU - Addesi, Elsa

PY - 2025/9/24

Y1 - 2025/9/24

N2 - This study examined the relations between independent eating and communicative development, both concurrently and longitudinally, using observational methods. In total, 182 Italian mother-infant pairs (Mage = 12.33; 48% females; 100% White) participated from 2020 to 2023. Infants’ gestures, vocalizations, and self-feeding episodes were coded during mealtimes at 12 months. Mothers reported on language development at 12, 18, and 24 months. Self-feeding was concurrently and positively associated with infants’ deictic gestures and simple vocalizations during the meal. Notably, self-feeding at 12 months was positively related to sentence production reported by mothers at 24 months (but not to parent-reported vocabulary size at 12, 18, or 24 months). The results suggest potential language benefits from allowing infants an active role during the mealtime.

AB - This study examined the relations between independent eating and communicative development, both concurrently and longitudinally, using observational methods. In total, 182 Italian mother-infant pairs (Mage = 12.33; 48% females; 100% White) participated from 2020 to 2023. Infants’ gestures, vocalizations, and self-feeding episodes were coded during mealtimes at 12 months. Mothers reported on language development at 12, 18, and 24 months. Self-feeding was concurrently and positively associated with infants’ deictic gestures and simple vocalizations during the meal. Notably, self-feeding at 12 months was positively related to sentence production reported by mothers at 24 months (but not to parent-reported vocabulary size at 12, 18, or 24 months). The results suggest potential language benefits from allowing infants an active role during the mealtime.

KW - infants

KW - self-feeding

KW - language

KW - communication

KW - child-directed speech

M3 - Article

SN - 0009-3920

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

ER -

Self-feeding and Communicative Development From 12 to 24 Months of Age: An Observational Study

Abstract

Keywords

Embargoed Document

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