Purpose : To evaluate current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding. Methods : Mothers of babies aged 9-15 months who visited pediatric clinics of 14 general hospitals between September and December 2008 were asked to fill questionnaires. Data from 1,078 questionnaires were analyzed. Results : Complementary food was introduced at 4-7 months in 89% of babies. Home-made rice gruel was the first complementary food in 93% cases. Spoons were used for initial feeding in 97% cases. At 6-7 months, <50% of babies were fed meat (beef, 43%). Less than 12-month-old babies were fed salty foods such as salted laver (35%) or bean-paste soup (51%) and cow's milk (11%). The following were the maternal sources of information on complementary feeding: books/ magazines (58%), friends (30%), internet web sites (29%), relatives (14%), and hospitals (4%). Compared to the 1993 survey, the incidence of complementary food introduction before 4 months (0.4% vs. 21%) and initial use of commercial food (7% vs. 39%) had decreased. Moreover, spoons were increasingly used for initial feeding (97% vs. 57%). The average maternal nutritional knowledge score was 7.5/10. Less percentage of mothers agreed with the following suggestions: bottle formula weaning before 15-18 months (68%), no commercial baby drinks as complementary food (67%), considering formula (or cow's milk) better than soy milk (65%), and feeding minced meat from 6-7 months (57%).
Vitamin D is an important fat-soluble vitamin that functions as a prohormone and affects bone mineralization and calcium homeostasis. Vitamin D deficiency causesboth musculoskeletal manifestations, including rickets, and extra-musculoskeletal symptoms. Because vitamin D is naturally present in only some foods, intake of daily foods cannot meet the dietary reference intake for vitamin D. Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D in humans therefore, the lack of sunlight can easily cause vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents. Vitamin D deficiency can be diagnosed on the basis ofits typical clinical manifestation, laboratory tests, and radiologic findings. Detection of vitamin D deficiency in children or adolescents necessitates the simultaneous administration of vitamin D and calcium supplements. To prevent vitamin D deficiency, 200 IU of daily vitamin D intake is recommended in infants, and 400 IU of daily vitamin D intake is recommended in Korean children and adolescents. (Korean J Pediatr 2009;52:1082-1089
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