A proper nutrition during the first two years of life is critical to reach the full potential of every human being; now, this period is recognized as a critical window for promoting optimal growth, development, and good health. Therefore, adequate feeding at this stage of life has an impact on health, nutritional status, growth and development of children; not only in the short term, but in the medium and long term. This paper provides recommendations on complementary feeding (CF) presented as questions or statements that are important for those who take care for children during this stage of life. For example: When to start complementary feedings: 4 or 6 months of age?; Exposure to potentially allergenic foods; Introduction of sweetened beverages; Use of artificial sweeteners and light products; Food introduction sequence; Food consistency changes according to neurological maturation; Number of days to test acceptance and tolerance to new foods; Amounts for each meal; Inadequate complementary feeding practices; Myths and realities of complementary feeding; Developmental milestones; Practice of "Baby Led Weaning" and practice of vegetarianism.
Food sources of nutrients in Mexican children are not well known. To fill the knowledge gap, dietary intake was assessed in 2057 children using a 24-h dietary recall. All reported foods and beverages were assigned to one of 76 food groups. Percent contribution of each food group to nutrient intake was estimated for four age groups: 0–5.9, 6–11.9, 12–23.9, and 24–47.9 months. Breast milk, infant formula, and cow’s milk were the top sources of energy and nutrients, especially in younger groups. Among infants aged 6–11.9 months, the top food sources of energy included soups and stews, cookies, fruit, tortillas, eggs and egg dishes, and traditional beverages. The same foods plus sweetened breads, dried beans, and sandwiches and tortas were consumed as the top sources of energy among toddlers and young children. Milk, soups, and stews were the top contributors for all nutrients and tortillas, eggs, and egg dishes were among the top contributors for iron and zinc. This study showed that low nutrient-dense cookies, sweetened breads, and traditional beverages were among the core foods consumed early in life in Mexico. This compromises the intake of more nutritious foods such as vegetables and fortified cereals and increases the risk of obesity.
Background: Feeding practices and dietary factors associated with obesity in young children are now recognized to begin in infancy. Yet little is known about what specific foods and beverages Mexican children are consuming during the rapid dietary changes occurring in the first few years of life. The objective of this study was to describe the transitions in food consumption patterns of Mexican children from birth up to age 4 years and to assess their adherence to feeding guidelines that support growth, development and obesity prevention. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional, 24-hour dietary recall data from a nationally-representative sample of infants ages 0-11.9 months (m) (n = 411), toddlers ages 12-23.9 m (n = 538), and preschoolers ages 24-47.9 m (n = 1108) from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (NHNS 2012). The prevalence of foods and beverages was estimated for specific age categories of children useful for examining detailed transitions in food consumption patterns and compared to international feeding guidelines for infants and young children. Results: Few infants were exclusively breastfed (15 % ages 0-3.9 m; 4 % ages 4-5.9 m) and only~1 % met the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed until at least age 6 m. One to 10 % of infants ages <6 m and 14-38 % of infants ages 6-11 m were fed cow's milk, a practice not recommended until after age 1 year. Most infants ages 0-3.9 m were meeting the recommendation to delay feeding of complementary foods until age 6 m, but by the age of 4-5.9 m, 9-37 % of infants were fed foods from nearly all of the major food groups. Few infants ages 6-11.9 m received iron-rich foods, (3-4 % iron-fortified infant cereals; 2-18 % meats). By the age of 9 m, more children consumed any type of sweet (75 %) than consumed a distinct portion of fruit (54 %) or vegetable (25 %). Sweetened beverages were fed with an increasing prevalence from 6 to 42 % in infancy, and reached 63 % by age 12 m and 78 % by age 24 m. Conclusions: These data show that dietary patterns begin very early in life and many infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Mexico are not meeting important feeding recommendations aimed at supporting healthy growth, development and obesity prevention. These findings are useful to support the ongoing promotion of evidence-based feeding guidelines for young Mexican children.
Background: Lifestyles habits such as eating unhealthy foodscommence at home and are associated with the development of obesity and comorbidities such as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and chronic degenerative diseases, which are the main causes of death in adults. The present study compared changes in dietary habits, behaviors and metabolic profiles of obese children whose mothers attended at the hospital to group sessions, with those who received the usual nutritional consultation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial, 177 mother/obese child pairs participated, 90 in the intervention group and 87 in the control group. The intervention group attended six group education sessions to promote healthy eating, being this an alternative of change of habits in children with obesity. The control group received the usual nutritional consultation; both groups were followed up for 3 months. Frequency of food consumption, behaviors during feeding in the house and metabolic profile was evaluated. Mixed effect linear regression models were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the variables of interest, especially in HOMA-IR. Results: The intervention group reduced the filling of their dishes (p = 0.009), forcing the children to finish meals (p = 0.003) and food substitution (p < 0.001), moreover increased the consumption of roasted foods (p = 0.046), fruits (p = 0.002) and vegetables (p < 0.001). The children in the control group slightly increased HOMA-IR levels (0.51; 95% CI − 0.48 to 1.50), while the children in the intervention group significantly decreased (− 1.22; 95% CI − 2.28 to − 1.16). The difference in HOMA-IR between the control and intervention group at the end of the follow-up was − 1.67; 95% CI: − 3.11 to − 0.24. Conclusions: The educational intervention improved some eating habits at home, as well as HOMA-IR levels; why we consider that it can be an extra resource in the management of childhood obesity.
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