Parental Nutritional Knowledge and Type of Diet as the Key Factors Influencing the Safety of Vegetarian Diets for Children Aged 12-36 Months.

There are some concerns about the adequacy of vegetarian diets for pregnant women, infants, and young children because diets that exclude meat and other animal-based products increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies. The aim of the present study was to assess the nutritional knowledge of parents raising 12- to 36-month-old children on vegetarian diets and to evaluate the children's diets based on the recommendations formulated in the model food ration. The study involved a questionnaire survey that was completed by 326 women raising their children on various types of vegetarian diets and 198 women raising their children on an omnivorous diet. Mothers raising children on a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet had the highest nutritional knowledge scores (15.8 points on average), whereas control group mothers and women raising children on a vegan diet had the lowest nutritional knowledge scores (average of 13.6 points). Parents who raised their children on more restrictive vegetarian diets were more aware of the risk of nutritional deficiencies and administered dietary supplements more frequently. A vegetarian diet can be safe for young children, but parents should be educated about the risk of nutritional deficiencies and the principles of healthy nutrition regardless of the administered diet, and effective communication between parents, pediatricians, and dietitians should be the cornerstone of every nutritional strategy in the management of vegetarian children.

Factors Affecting Complementary Feeding of Infants. A Pilot Study Conducted after the Introduction of New Infant Feeding Guidelines in Poland.

Adequate nutrition in the first year of life is the key prerequisite for a child's healthy growth and development. The success of complementary feeding is influenced by various factors, including the family's socioeconomic status, maternal age, place of residence and educational level, older children and duration of breastfeeding. Modified infant feeding guidelines were introduced in Poland in 2016. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that exert the greatest influence on infant feeding practices in the Polish population. A thorough understanding of maternal factors that are responsible for undesirable feeding practices is required to improve the mothers' knowledge and to promote healthy feeding practices. This study was carried out in March-June 2018 and between November 2018 and March 2019 in the Region of Lublin in southeastern Poland. The mothers of children aged 9-14 months, who had introduced complementary foods, were invited to the study. A total of 441 mothers agreed to participate, and 289 of them fully and correctly completed the questionnaires. Logistic regression models were developed to assess the association between maternal factors, such as age, educational level and the nutrition knowledge score, and introduction of solid foods. The infant's sex and birth weight and the mother's place of residence had no significant influence on the duration of breastfeeding. The mother's age and educational level, the number of children in the family and maternal nutrition knowledge scores contributed to significant differences in breastfeeding duration. Older mothers (30-34 years vs. 25-29 years, p = 0.001), better educated mothers (university vs. secondary school education p = 0.002) and mothers with one or two children exclusively breastfed their children for longer (17 weeks vs. 11 weeks, p = 0.002) than younger mothers with secondary school education and more than three children. Exclusive formula feeding was significantly correlated with untimely introduction of solid foods compared to exclusive breastfeeding (13 weeks vs. 19.7 weeks, p = 0.001). Mothers with nutrition knowledge scores in the upper tertile were more likely to adapt food consistency to the skills manifested by the child (88%) (OR = 1.88; Cl: 1.53-2.26, p < 0.05) and were less likely to delay the introduction of new foods that required chewing and biting (84%) (OR = 0.22; Cl: 0.09-0.34, p < 0.05) than mothers with nutrition knowledge scores in the bottom tertile. Maternal age, educational level and nutrition knowledge significantly increased the age at which infants were introduced to solid foods and the correct identification of the signs indicative of the child's readiness to explore new tastes and foods with a new consistency. The above factors contributed to delayed, but not untimely, introduction of complementary foods (6 months of age or later), including gluten.

Anticancer Potential and Capsianosides Identification in Lipophilic Fraction of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

This study aimed to determine the health-promoting properties of sweet pepper by comparing the activity of fractions with variable lipophilicity. Fractions from red pericarp: aqueous (F1), 40% MeOH (F2), and 70% MeOH (F3) were analyzed for antiradical activity (with DPPH• and ABTS+•), and the contents of total phenolic compounds (TP), flavonoids (TF), and dihydroxycinnamic acids (TDHCA). The anticancer potential of the fractions was evaluated in vitro using different cancer cell lines: human colorectal carcinoma (HCT116) and PC-3 (prostate cancer cell). Fibroblast-like cells of L929 obtained from subcutaneous adipose tissue of mouse were used as normal cells. The highest content of TP, TF, and TDHCA along with the strongest antiradical activity was observed for fraction F2, while the strongest anticancer properties against PC-3 were observed in fraction F3. Fraction F3 primarily contained capsianoside derivatives, which had been isolated through chromatographic methods and identified by spectral methods. These analyses helped in identifying 8 compounds, including 3 new compounds.