The Role of Responsive Feeding in Childhood Development and Clinical Implications: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Responsive feeding refers to caregiver-infant feeding interactions that encourage healthy eating behaviors and support the child’s autonomy by responding to their hunger and satiety cues. Responsive feeding supports healthy early childhood development, influencing self-regulation in eating behaviors and long-term health outcomes, particularly in obesity prevention. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the impact of responsive feeding practices on childhood development in the United States and its clinical implications. The objectives were to explore the role of parental feeding practices in shaping childhood eating behaviors, understand the relationship between responsive feeding and obesity, and determine literature daps. Articles for this review were sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase. Studies were included if they were: 1) published between 2005 and 2025; 2) included material involving responsive feeding practices and their impact on childhood weight status; 3) published in peer-reviewed journals; 4) focused on children under the age of 5; 5) were published in English; and 6) were conducted in a high-income country. In total, 25 peer-reviewed articles are included with 18 being within the USA and 7 being from other high-income countries. The randomized control trials and observational studies in the review found that parental education/implementation of responsive feeding techniques was associated with lower BMI z-scores and better weight outcomes. Non-responsive feeding behaviors were linked to poor self-regulation development and increased risk for excess weight gain. Caregiver responsiveness is important in fostering healthy dietary patterns and emphasize the need for further research on how responsive feeding influences long-term developmental outcomes of infants. This review aims to analyze the clinical importance of responsive feeding and inform pediatric providers to help combat adverse health outcomes associated with non-responsive feeding behaviors.