A 2-item FI screen was sensitive, specific, and valid among low-income families with young children. The FI screen rapidly identifies households at risk for FI, enabling providers to target services that ameliorate the health and developmental consequences associated with FI.

The objective of this study was to examine how breastfeeding behaviours, perceptions and experiences vary by race/ethnicity among a low-income sample in the USA. Bilingual interviewers conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey of 767 white, African American or Hispanic mothers who received the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration varied by race/ethnicity. Hispanic mothers were more likely to initiate breastfeeding than African American (91% vs. 65%) or white (61%) mothers. Hispanic mothers breastfed longer (mean 5 months) than either African American (mean 3.5 months) or white (mean 3 months) mothers. The most common reason for not breastfeeding was fear of difficulty or pain during breastfeeding (35.6%). Among mothers who did not initiate breastfeeding, African American and white mothers were more likely than Hispanic mothers to report perceptions of breastfeeding difficulty or pain, and Hispanic mothers were more likely than African American and white mothers to report perceptions of infant breast rejection. The most common reason reported for breastfeeding cessation was not having enough milk (23.4%). Hispanic mothers were more likely than African American and white mothers to cite perceptions of milk insufficiency and infant breast refusal than concerns regarding breast discomfort or pain. African American mothers were more likely than white mothers to report cessation to return to work. In conclusion, while breastfeeding initiation rates approach Healthy People 2010 goals, breastfeeding duration remains far below these goals. Race/ethnicity differences in experiences related to breastfeeding cessation suggest that culturally sensitive breastfeeding interventions are necessary.

This article examines the association of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with children's development and behavior, with the goal of providing recommendations to prevent the developmental loss associated with these conditions. Children's risk for ID and IDA is particularly high during the second 6 months of life when prenatal stores are depleted. Longitudinal studies from infancy through adolescence and early adulthood suggest that socioemotional development is uniquely vulnerable to ID and IDA, perhaps being associated with shared neural pathways, and the effects of early iron deficiencies may be irreversible. In addition to direct effects on brain function, ID and IDA may also affect child development indirectly through non-responsive mother-child interactions. Maternal ID is a global problem that may contribute to high rates of maternal depression and non-responsive caregiving. Intervention trials illustrate that children benefit from both nutritional intervention and early learning interventions that promote responsive mother-child interactions. Recommendations to reduce the developmental loss associated with ID and IDA are to reduce the incidence of these conditions by efforts to prevent premature birth, delay cord clamping, ensure adequate maternal iron status, provide iron-rich complementary foods, and ensure access to postnatal interventions that promote responsive mother-infant interaction patterns and early learning opportunities for infants.