The effect of prebiotic intervention foods on caregiver-reported infant sleep and caregiver sleep quality during complementary feeding- secondary analysis of a randomized control trial

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sleep is essential for infant health and cognitive development. Poor sleep increases the risk of childhood obesity and weakens immune health. Infant sleep is a major concern for parents, as disruptions can impact parental sleep and overall well-being, leading to various negative consequences. Prebiotic foods introduced during the complementary feeding period may potentially improve infant sleep and, consequently, parental sleep. However, to our knowledge, no studies have yet explored this relationship.

METHODS: As a secondary outcome analysis of a three-arm parallel randomized control trial (ACTRN12620000026921), this paper compared the effects of kūmara (K group, n = 93) or kūmara with added resistant starch (K+ group, n = 93) to a control group (n = 95) on infant sleep and caregiver sleep quality during the first four months of complementary feeding. Infant and caregiver sleep were subjectively assessed at baseline (prior to solids), and at two (Complementary Feeding 2, CF2) and four (Complementary Feeding 4, CF4) months post-introduction to solids, using the caregiver-reported Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) scales for Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment, respectively.

RESULTS: Compared to the control group, infants in the K group had significantly less nocturnal wakefulness (8.4 min, p = 0.023) at CF4. The K+ group showed a near-significant increase in daytime sleep (11.4 min, p = 0.053) but also trends toward more reports of problematic nighttime sleep at CF2. Caregiver sleep outcomes did not differ significantly.

DISCUSSION: Kūmara consumption may reduce nocturnal wakefulness in infants, but further research incorporating objective sleep measures and exploring underlying mechanisms is needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12620000026921.