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Our research is focused on identifying nutrition and behavior connections that serve to optimize early human development. For example, it is widely acknowledged that breastfeeding is associated with enhanced infant development, both in terms of health and cognitive functioning. Such outcomes, however, are usually confounded with maternal social class and caregiving skill. As we have established that breastfed infants display more motor activity and irritability than formula-fed infants of the same age and weight, our current efforts are directed at determining if a low activity—high irritability profile places the infant at increased risk for excessive weight gain.