Plasma mineral status after a six-month intervention providing one egg per day to young Malawian children: a randomized controlled trial

Impact of Fortified Whole Grain Infant Cereal on the Nutrient Density of the Diet in Brazil, the UAE, and the USA: A Dietary Modeling Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Complementary feeding (CF) influences future health outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of fortified whole grain infant cereal (WGIC), a complementary food, among 6- to 12-month-old infants on the nutrient density of the diet in three diverse settings: Brazil, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US.

METHODS

Data from the Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS), a collection of dietary intake studies based on 24-h-dietary recalls, from said countries was utilized. Nutrient intakes were calculated for infant cereal (IC) consumers and non-consumers. Diet modeling was applied to IC consumers to substitute their regular fortified IC with WGIC with improved fortifications. The study estimated the average nutrient density, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and percentage inadequacy of the diet in both IC consumers and non-consumers.

RESULTS

The analyses indicated that infants who consumed IC had higher intakes of calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin D in the three countries. Reduced micronutrient inadequacies were observed among IC consumers, particularly in Brazil and the U.S. Diet modeling with WGIC revealed a significantly higher density of choline, magnesium, zinc, iron, fiber, and protein, as well as reduced inadequacies. The MAR was significantly improved in the three countries.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the potential of fortified WGIC in increasing the nutrient density of the complementary diet. The intrinsic nutrients in whole grain infant cereals (WGICs) significantly enhance the nutrient density of the complementary diet. Given that whole grains play a role in preventing childhood obesity, their inclusion during CF may be crucial.

Associations of fish and meat intake with iron and anaemia in Malawian children

Animal flesh foods are rich in bioavailable iron but infrequently consumed by young children. We aimed to determine whether flesh food intake was associated with iron and anaemia status among 585 Malawian infants enroled in a 6-month egg-feeding trial. The percentage of days of small fish, large fish and meat consumption were assessed through weekly 7-day animal-source food screeners. Grams of intake were assessed through 24-h recalls conducted at 6-9, 9-12 and 12-15 months of age. Plasma ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and haemoglobin concentrations were measured at 6-9 and 12-15 months of age. Iron biomarkers were adjusted for inflammation during analysis. At enrolment, each flesh food category was consumed by <5% of children in the past 24 h. Over the next 6 months, small fish, large fish and meat were consumed on 25%, 8% and 6% of days, respectively, with mean usual intakes of <5 g/day. More frequent small fish consumption was associated with lower sTfR (geometric mean ratio [95% CI]: 0.98 mg/L [0.96, 1.00] per 10 percentage point difference) but not ferritin (1.03 µg/L [0.98, 1.07]) or haemoglobin (1.01 g/dL [1.00, 1.01]). Large fish consumption was associated with higher anaemia (prevalence ratio [95% CI]: 1.09 [1.01, 1.19]) and lower iron deficiency (0.96 [0.93, 1.00]) prevalence. Gram intakes of flesh food categories were not associated with any iron or anaemia indicators. Small fish were a primary contributor to flesh food intake in this cohort of Malawian children, although usual portions were small. Fish was associated with modest improvements to iron status, but meat was too infrequent to be associated with anaemia and iron deficiency.

Selenium in Infants and Preschool Children Nutrition: A Literature Review

Selenium (Se), an essential trace element, is fundamental to human health, playing an important role in the formation of thyroid hormones, DNA synthesis, the immune response, and fertility. There is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological research, particularly the serum Se concetration in healthy infants and preschool children compared to the estimated dietary Se intake. However, Se deficiencies and exceeding the UL have been observed in infants and preschool children. Despite the observed irregularities in Se intake, there is a lack of nutritional recommendations for infants and preschool children. Therefore, the main objective of this literature review was to summarize what is known to date about Se levels and the risk of deficiency related to regular consumption in infants and preschool children.