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AIMS: To determine the effect of a two-week reduced fat and sugar and increased fibre maternal dietary intervention on the maternal faecal and human milk (HM) microbiomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Faecal swabs and HM samples were collected from mothers (n = 11) immediately pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 4 and 8 weeks post-intervention, and were analysed using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maternal macronutrient intake was assessed at baseline and during the intervention. Maternal fat and sugar intake during the intervention were significantly lower than pre-intervention (P = <0.001, 0.005, respectively). Significant changes in the bacterial composition of maternal faeces were detected after the dietary intervention, with decreases in the relative abundance of Bacteroides caccae (P = <0.001) and increases in the relative abundance of Faecalibacillus intestinalis (P = 0.006). In HM, the diet resulted in a significant increase in Cutibacterium acnes (P = 0.001) and a decrease in Haemophilus parainfluenzae (P = <0.001). The effect of the diet continued after the intervention, with faecal swabs and HM samples taken 4 and 8 weeks after the diet showing significant differences compared to baseline. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates that short-term changes in maternal diet during lactation can alter the bacterial composition of the maternal faeces and HM.
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Heces , Lactancia , Leche Humana , Humanos , Heces/microbiología , Leche Humana/microbiología , Femenino , Adulto , Dieta , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , Proyectos Piloto , Microbiota , Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Bacterias/genética , Bacterias/clasificación , Fibras de la DietaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Meeting iron intake recommendations is challenging for infants 6-12 mo, especially breastfed infants. Three-quarters of Australian infants 6-12 mo have iron intakes below the estimated average requirement (7 mg), placing them at risk of iron deficiency. After 6 mo, breastmilk is no longer sufficient to meet the increased demand for iron, and iron-rich complementary foods are recommended. Iron-fortified foods may be a means of improving iron intake in infants, particularly those that are breastfed. OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were as follows: 1) to examine the effect of milk-type and fortified foods on iron intake and the prevalence of inadequacy in infants 6-12 mo; 2) to model the effect of fixed amounts of iron-fortified infant cereal (IFIC) at 6 levels of iron fortification on total iron intake and the prevalence of inadequacy; and 3) to assess the effect IFIC on the intake of other nutrients in the diet. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional dietary intake data of infants 6-12 mo (n = 286) participating in the Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS) 2021. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) iron intake was 8.9 (7.5, 10.3); 6.3 (4.5, 8.2); and 2.7 (1.5, 4.4) mg/d in formula-fed, combination-fed, and breastfed infants, respectively. The corresponding prevalence of inadequacy was 19%, 67%, and 96%. Infants who consumed fortified foods had higher median iron intakes than those who did not, 6.2 compared with 1.9 mg/d. Dietary modeling showed that consuming 18 g (300 kJ) of IFIC, fortified at 35 mg/100 g dry weight, reduces the prevalence of inadequacy for iron from 75% to 5% for all infants. CONCLUSIONS: Iron intakes are low in Australian infants, especially for breastfed infants in the second half of infancy. Modeling shows that 300 kJ of IFIC, the current manufacturer-recommended serving, fortified at 35 mg/100 g dry weight, added to infant diets would be an effective means to reduce the prevalence of inadequacy for iron.
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BACKGROUND: Eleven percent of Australian infants have confirmed food allergy. We hypothesized earlier introduction may lead to higher rates of infant anaphylaxis, irrespective of whether the overall rate of food allergy in the population was ultimately reduced. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a public health campaign, targeting earlier introduction of allergenic foods, affected rates of infant anaphylaxis. METHODS: Data were obtained from St John Ambulance (SJA) Western Australia and Western Australian emergency departments (ED) on infant (≤12 months) anaphylaxis over a 5-year period (July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020). Adrenaline administration data were collected in the SJA dataset. Poisson regression was undertaken to assess trends in anaphylaxis over time. Segmented regression analysis was undertaken to assess differences in anaphylaxis rates before and after intervention. RESULTS: The SJA and ED datasets included 172 and 294 events, respectively, coded as infant anaphylaxis. Rates of infant anaphylaxis increased over time for both SJA and ED datasets, with a 1-year increase rate ratio of 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.35; P value < .01) and 1.11 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.20; P = .01), respectively. Segmented regression indicated no significant difference in rates after intervention. Adrenaline was not coded as being administered in 109 of the 172 anaphylaxis events. CONCLUSION: Rates of infant anaphylaxis increased over the 5-year reporting period; however, there was no clear increase related to the timing of the public health campaign implementation. Reported adrenaline use was suboptimal. Assessing rates of food allergy in all age groups is required to determine whether there has been an overall reduction in food allergy owing to the intervention.
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Anafilaxia , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos , Lactante , Humanos , Anafilaxia/epidemiología , Salud Pública , Australia/epidemiología , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/epidemiología , EpinefrinaRESUMEN
Breast milk composition is influenced by habitual diet, yet little is known about the short-term effects of changes in maternal diet on breast milk macronutrient concentrations. Our aim was to determine the acute effect of increased consumption of sugar/fat on breast milk protein, lactose and lipids. Exclusively breastfeeding women (n = 9) were provided with a control, higher fat (+28 g fat) and higher sugar (+66 g sugar) diet over three separate days at least 1 week apart. Hourly breast milk samples were collected concurrently for the analysis of triglycerides, cholesterol, protein, and lactose concentrations. Breast milk triglycerides increased significantly following both the higher fat and sugar diet with a greater response to the higher sugar compared to control diet (mean differences of 3.05 g/dL ± 0.39 and 13.8 g/dL ± 0.39 in higher fat and sugar diets, respectively [P < 0.001]). Breast milk cholesterol concentrations increased most in response to the higher sugar diet (0.07 g/dL ± 0.005) compared to the control (0.04 g/dL) and the higher fat diet (0.05 g/dL) P < 0.005. Breast milk triglyceride and lactose concentrations increased (P < 0.001, P = 0.006), whereas protein decreased (p = 0.05) in response to the higher fat diet compared to the control. Independent of diet, there were significant variations in breast milk composition over the day; triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations were higher at end of day (P < 0.001), whereas protein and lactose concentrations peaked at Hour 10 (of 12) (P < 0.001). In conclusion, controlled short-term feeding to increase daily sugar/fat consumption altered breast milk triglycerides, cholesterol, protein and lactose. The variations observed in breast milk protein and lactose across the 12 h period is suggestive of a circadian rhythm.
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Leche Humana , Azúcares , Dieta , Femenino , Humanos , Lactancia , Comidas , Proteínas de la LecheRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: As human milk (HM) composition varies by time and across even a single feed, methods of sample collection can significantly affect the results of compositional analyses and complicate comparisons between studies. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to compare the results obtained for HM macronutrient composition between studies utilizing different sampling methodologies. The results will be used as a basis to identify the most reliable HM sampling approach. METHODS: EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were searched for relevant articles. Observational and interventional studies were included, and at least 2 authors screened studies and undertook data extraction. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and previously published pragmatic score. RESULTS: A total of 5301 publications were identified from our search, of which 101 studies were included (n = 5049 breastfeeding women). Methods used for HM collection were divided into 3 categories: collection of milk from all feeds over 24 h (32 studies, n = 1309 participants), collection at one time point (62 studies, n = 3432 participants), and "other methods" (7 studies, n = 308 participants). Fat and protein concentrations varied between collection methods within lactation stage, but there were no obvious differences in lactose concentrations. There was substantial variability between studies in other factors potentially impacting HM composition, including stage of lactation, gestational age, and analytical method, which complicated direct comparison of methods. CONCLUSIONS: This review describes the first systematic evaluation of sampling methodologies used in studies reporting HM composition and highlights the wide range of collection methods applied in the field. This information provides an important basis for developing recommendations for best practices for HM collection for compositional analysis, which will ultimately allow combination of information from different studies and thus strengthen the body of evidence relating to contemporary HM composition. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42017072563, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42017072563.
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Leche Humana/química , Nutrientes/análisis , Humanos , Manejo de EspecímenesRESUMEN
RATIONALE: Allergic diseases are an increasing public health concern, and early life environment is critical to immune development. Maternal diet during pregnancy has been linked to offspring allergy risk. In turn, maternal diet is a potentially modifiable factor, which could be targeted as an allergy prevention strategy. In this systematic review, we focused on non-allergen-specific modifying factors of the maternal diet in pregnancy on allergy outcomes in their offspring. METHODS: We undertook a systematic review of studies investigating the association between maternal diet during pregnancy and allergic outcomes (asthma/wheeze, hay fever/allergic rhinitis/seasonal allergies, eczema/atopic dermatitis (AD), food allergies, and allergic sensitization) in offspring. Studies evaluating the effect of food allergen intake were excluded. We searched three bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science) through February 26, 2019. Evidence was critically appraised using modified versions of the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool for intervention trials and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence methodological checklist for cohort and case-control studies and meta-analysis performed from RCTs. RESULTS: We identified 95 papers: 17 RCTs and 78 observational (case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort) studies. Observational studies varied in design and dietary intakes and often had contradictory findings. Based on our meta-analysis, RCTs showed that vitamin D supplementation (OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56-0.92) is associated with a reduced risk of wheeze/asthma. A positive trend for omega-3 fatty acids was observed for asthma/wheeze, but this did not reach statistical significance (OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.45-1.08). Omega-3 supplementation was also associated with a non-significant decreased risk of allergic rhinitis (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.56-1.04). Neither vitamin D nor omega-3 fatty acids were associated with an altered risk of AD or food allergy. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal supplementation with vitamin D may have beneficial effects for prevention of asthma. Additional nutritional factors seem to be required for modulating the risk of skin and gastrointestinal outcomes. We found no consistent evidence regarding other dietary factors, perhaps due to differences in study design and host features that were not considered. While confirmatory studies are required, there is also a need for performing RCTs beyond single nutrients/foods.
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Asma , Dermatitis Atópica , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos , Estudios Transversales , Dieta , Femenino , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/epidemiología , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/prevención & control , Humanos , EmbarazoRESUMEN
Infant feeding guidelines worldwide recommend first foods to be Fe rich with no added sugars and that nutrient-poor discretionary foods are to be avoided. Feeding guidelines also recommend exposing infants to a variety of foods and flavours with increasingly complex textures. Here, we compare nutritional and textural properties of commercial infant and toddler foods available in Australia with established infant feeding guidelines. Nutrition information and ingredient lists were obtained from food labels, manufacturer and/or retailer websites. In total, 414 foods were identified, comprising mostly mixed main dishes, fruit and vegetable first foods and snacks. Most products were poor sources of Fe, and 80 % of first foods were fruit-based. Half of all products were purées in squeeze pouches, and one-third of all products were discretionary foods. The nutritional content of many products was inconsistent with guidelines, being low in Fe, sweet, smooth in consistency or classified as discretionary. Reformulation of products is warranted to improve Fe content, particularly in mixed main dishes, expand the range of vegetable-only foods and textural variety. Greater regulatory oversight may be needed to better inform parents and caregivers. Frequent consumption of commercial baby foods low in Fe may increase the risk of Fe deficiency. Excessive consumption of purées via squeeze pouches may also have implications for overweight and obesity risk.
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Abastecimiento de Alimentos/estadística & datos numéricos , Alimentos Infantiles/análisis , Nutrientes/análisis , Política Nutricional , Valor Nutritivo , Australia , Comercio , Azúcares de la Dieta/análisis , Femenino , Etiquetado de Alimentos , Frutas , Humanos , Lactante , Hierro de la Dieta/análisis , Masculino , Bocadillos , VerdurasRESUMEN
AIM: Introduction of allergenic solid foods, especially peanut and hen's egg reduces the risk of food allergy development in early childhood. Ideally, parents will offer their infants home-prepared foods; however, many rely on the availability of convenient ready to purchase infant foods. This audit aimed to assess the major food allergen content of commercial infant foods. METHODS: Infant foods available for sale in 2019 in Australia were the focus of this audit. The major food allergens investigated were peanut, tree nuts, hen's egg, cows milk, wheat, fish, shellfish, soy, sesame and lupin. Websites of infant food manufacturers and major supermarkets were used to identify ingredient lists of infant foods available for purchase. Where ingredients listings were unavailable this information was sourced directly from the product labels in the supermarket. RESULTS: Fourteen companies were identified, manufacturing over 251 foods specifically for the infants aged less than 1 year of age. Although there were many choices available containing wheat (27 products) and cows milk proteins (73 products), none contained peanut, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish or lupin. CONCLUSIONS: Despite infant feeding advice encouraging early introduction to food allergens, of 251 commercial baby foods surveyed only 1% contained egg and none contained peanut, the most common food allergies in young Australian infants. This low food allergen content may be disadvantageous for infants fed mostly commercial infant foods as they are unlikely to be exposed to sufficient amounts of the major food allergens on a regular basis during infancy.
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Alérgenos , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos , Anciano , Animales , Australia , Bovinos , Pollos , Preescolar , Femenino , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/prevención & control , Humanos , Lactante , Alimentos InfantilesRESUMEN
Food allergy and anaphylaxis is increasing in Australian children, and anaphylaxis is relatively common in Australian schools. This review aims to provide an overview of current policies and practices for anaphylaxis management in Australian schools, including approaches to risk mitigation and anaphylaxis training. We reviewed literature related to anaphylaxis training in the school setting published between 2010 and 2018. Current anaphylaxis policies/guidelines were obtained from Australian education and health departments, and reports of suspected anaphylaxis and adrenaline autoinjector (AAI) use for 2016-2017 were obtained from education departments where available. Our review of policies/guidelines across Australian jurisdictions indicates inconsistent approaches to anaphylaxis management training. Almost half of Australian school anaphylaxis events required a general-use AAI, administered to students not identified as at risk of anaphylaxis. Development of clear, evidence-based, consistent guidelines related to anaphylaxis management and training in the school setting is imperative to minimise risk.
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Anafilaxia/tratamiento farmacológico , Sistemas de Liberación de Medicamentos/instrumentación , Epinefrina/administración & dosificación , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/tratamiento farmacológico , Instituciones Académicas , Adolescente , Australia , Niño , Humanos , Estudiantes , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
AIM: Early feeding plays an important role in programming the immune system, particularly the risk of food allergy. There are many infant feeding guides published for consumers available in Australia, with most based on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2012 Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Infant Feeding Advice for allergy prevention. We sought to compare allergy-specific content of infant feeding educational material written for parents with these two documents. METHODS: Australian websites of children's hospitals, early child health organisations and consumer groups providing information about diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early infancy were compared with NHMRC and ASCIA guidelines. RESULTS: Twenty-five sets of infant feeding information were identified. Food allergy was discussed in 18 resources. Recommended length of exclusive breastfeeding and timing of commencing solid foods was consistently around 6 months, with some variation in wording. Advice regarding to include and not delay introduction of common allergens into babies' diets was generally consistent with NHMRC and ASCIA recommendations, however the audit identified some resources that still recommended delayed introduction of common allergens. CONCLUSION: As consumers have access to a plethora of health information it is imperative that information about infant feeding from health-care authorities is simple, evidence-based and consistent to avoid confusion. Use of consensus wording related to infant feeding guidelines to prevent allergies will provide clear messages related to the timing of introduction to solid foods and inclusion of allergens in the early diet.
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Confusión , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/prevención & control , Educación en Salud , Alimentos Infantiles , Australia , Lactancia Materna , Guías como Asunto , Humanos , Lactante , InternetRESUMEN
Cow's milk allergy is rare in exclusively breastfed infants. To support the continuation of breastfeeding an infant after diagnosis with a cow's milk allergy, it is critical to examine the evidence for and against any form of cow's milk elimination diet for lactating mothers. In this narrative review, we highlight the lack of high-quality evidence, hence subsequent controversy, regarding whether the minuscule quantities of cow's milk proteins detectable in human milk cause infant cow's milk allergy symptoms. Current clinical practice recommendations advise a 2-4 week trial of maternal cow's milk dietary elimination for: a) IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy only if the infant is symptomatic on breastfeeding alone; b) non-IgE-mediated associated symptoms only if the history and examination strongly suggest cow's milk allergy; and c) infants with moderate to severe eczema/atopic dermatitis, unresponsive to topical steroids and sensitized to cow's milk protein. There should be a clear plan for home reintroduction of cow's milk into the maternal diet for a period of 1 week to determine that the cow's milk elimination is responsible for resolution of symptoms, and then subsequent reoccurrence of infant symptoms upon maternal cow's milk reintroduction. The evidence base to support the use of maternal cow's milk avoidance for the treatment of a breastfed infant with cow's milk allergy is of limited strength due to a lack of high-quality, adequately powered, randomised controlled trials. It is important to consider the consequences of maternal cow's milk avoidance on reducing immune enhancing factors in breast milk, as well as the potential nutritional and quality of life impacts on the mother. Referral to a dietitian is advised for dietary education, along with calcium and vitamin D supplementation according to local recommendations, and a maternal substitute milk should be advised. However, for most breastfed infants with cow's milk allergy maternal cow's milk dietary elimination will not be required, and active support of the mother to continue breastfeeding is essential.
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The authors would like to correct an error in their recently published paper [...].
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Background: Food allergy affects up to 10% of Australian infants. It was hypothesized that if parents follow the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy guidelines, Australian food allergy rates may stabilize or decline. Objective: This project aimed to determine whether SmartStartAllergy influenced parental introduction of peanut by age 12 months, including in high-risk infants. Methods: SmartStartAllergy integrates with general practice management software to send text messages to parents via participating general practices. The intervention group participants were sent text messages when their child was aged 6, 9, and 12 months; the control group participants were parents of 12-month-old infants. When their child was aged 12 months, all participants completed a questionnaire regarding eczema and family history of atopy. Infants with severe eczema and/or a family history of atopy were considered high-risk. Results: Between 21 September 2018 and 26 April 2022, a total of 29,092 parents were enrolled in SmartStartAllergy as intervention (n = 18,090) and control (n = 11,002) group members The intervention group was more likely to introduce peanut by 12 months (crude odds ratio = 5.18; P < .0001; 95% CI = 4.35-6.16). After adjustment for the infants' level of risk and family history of atopy and food allergy, the intervention group was more likely to introduce peanut by 12 months of age (adjusted odds ratio = 5.34; P < .01; 95% CI = 4.48-6.37). Conclusion: SmartStartAllergy appears to be an effective tool for encouraging parental introduction of peanut. The ability to provide parents with credible allergy prevention information, along with the capacity to collect simple responses via text along with additional information via an online questionnaire, make this a useful public health tool.
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The 2021 Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS 2021) is the first nationwide survey of the feeding practices of children under 2 years. Key Findings: Nearly half of the infants were exclusively breastfed to 4 months, and breastfeeding duration was long, with 68% of infants breastfed to 6 months and 44% breastfed into their second year. Infants were introduced to complementary foods at the appropriate time, between 4 and 6 months. We found a mismatch between the number of recommended servings from each food group in the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the dietary intake of toddlers in our study. Toddlers consumed twice as many fruit servings as recommended, and nearly all consumed discretionary foods despite no allowance for these foods. While most toddlers consumed the recommended dairy serves, they consumed half the recommended servings for other food groups-meats and alternatives, grains, and vegetables. The modeling that informed the Australian Dietary Guidelines did not include an allowance for breastmilk; this needs to be addressed, as a quarter of toddlers in OzFITS 2021 received 30% or more energy from breastmilk. Infants and toddlers met their requirements for most nutrients. One exception was iron, where 90% of older infants and 25% of toddlers had inadequate intakes. Excessive sodium intake was also of concern, with 1 in 3 toddlers exceeding the upper limit of 1000 mg/day. Here, we discuss additional findings, study limitations, gaps in the evidence base, and future directions.
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Dieta , Sodio en la Dieta , Lactante , Femenino , Humanos , Preescolar , Encuestas sobre Dietas , Australia , Verduras , Lactancia Materna , Hierro , Ingestión de EnergíaRESUMEN
The Australian Feeding Infants and Toddler Study 2021 (OzFITS 2021) is a nationwide survey of Australian caregivers' infant and toddler feeding practices. Here, we describe breastfeeding rates and duration, use of breastmilk substitutes, and introduction of complementary (solid) foods, including common food allergens. Caregivers (n = 1140) were recruited by a digital marketing company and were interviewed using a structured telephone questionnaire to obtain information. Breastfeeding was initiated in 98% of infants, but the duration of exclusive breastfeeding to six months was less than 1%. Nearly 40% of children continued to receive breastmilk beyond one year, with 10% of toddlers receiving breastmilk at two years. One-quarter of infants were introduced to solid foods between 4 to 5 months, and nearly all infants had received solid foods by 7 months. New guidelines encourage the early introduction of potential food allergens to reduce the risk of allergy, and by 12 months, over 90% of children had been given eggs and peanuts. One-third of children received no breastmilk substitutes during their first year. One-third of infants first received breastmilk substitutes following birth and before discharge from the hospital. Of these infants, 30% ceased breastmilk substitute use after discharge. Our findings suggest a high rate of continued breastfeeding with 44% receiving breastmilk beyond 1 year. One approach to increase the duration of exclusive breastfeeding is to reduce breastmilk substitute use while in hospital.
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Lactancia Materna/estadística & datos numéricos , Métodos de Alimentación/estadística & datos numéricos , Australia , Preescolar , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos , Humanos , Lactante , Alimentos Infantiles , Fenómenos Fisiológicos Nutricionales del Lactante , Recién Nacido , Sustitutos de la Leche , Leche Humana , Política Nutricional , Encuestas Nutricionales , Valor Nutritivo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
(1) Background: Breastmilk provides all the nutrition an infant requires between 0−6 months. After that, complementary foods are needed to meet the child's increasing energy and nutrient requirements. Inadequate energy and nutrient intake may lead to growth faltering, impaired neurodevelopment, and increased disease risk. While the importance of early life nutrition is well recognized, there are few investigations assessing the nutritional adequacy of Australian children <24 months. Here, we describe usual energy and nutrient intake distributions, including the prevalence of inadequate intakes and exceeding the upper limit (UL), in a national sample of Australian children 6− 24 months and infants < six months who had commenced solids and/or formula. (2) Methods: Dietary intakes were assessed using a one-day food record for 976 children with a repeat one-day record in a random subset. (3) Results: Based on the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, children's intakes were above the Adequate Intake or Estimated Average Requirement for most nutrients. Exceptions were iron and zinc where the prevalence of inadequacy was estimated to be 90% and 20%, respectively, for infants aged 6−11.9 months. Low iron intake was also observed in one quarter of toddlers 12−24 months. On average, children consumed 10% more energy than predicted based on Estimated Energy Requirements, and ~10% were classified as overweight based on their weight for length. One third of toddlers exceeded the tolerable upper limit for sodium and consumed > 1000 mg/day. Of the children under six months, 18% and 43% exceeded the UL for vitamin A (retinol) and zinc. (4) Conclusions: Compared to nutrient reference values, diets were sufficient for most nutrients; however, iron was a limiting nutrient for infants aged 6−11.9 months and toddlers 12−24 months potentially putting them at risk for iron deficiency. Excessive sodium intake among toddlers is a concern as this may increase the risk for hypertension.
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Dieta , Ingestión de Energía , Australia/epidemiología , Dieta/efectos adversos , Ingestión de Alimentos , Humanos , Lactante , Hierro , Necesidades Nutricionales , Prevalencia , ZincRESUMEN
(1) Background: Despite the postulated importance of choline during pregnancy, little is known about the choline intake of Australians during pregnancy. In this study, we estimated dietary intakes of choline in early and late pregnancy, compared those intakes to recommendations, and investigated food sources of choline in a group of pregnant women in Australia. (2) Methods: 103 pregnant women enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. In early pregnancy (12−16 weeks gestation) and late pregnancy (36 weeks gestation), women completed a food frequency questionnaire designed to assess dietary intake over the previous month. (3) Results: Choline intakes and sources were similar in early and late pregnancy. Median choline intake in early pregnancy was 362 mg/day. Of the women, 39% and 25% had choline intakes above the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) adequate intake (AI) of >440 mg/day and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) AI of >480 mg/day for choline in pregnancy, respectively. Eggs, red meat, nuts, legumes, and dairy accounted for 50% of choline intake, with eggs being the most significant contributor at 17%. (4) Conclusions: Few pregnant women in our study met the AI recommended by the NHMRC and EFSA. In Australia, choline intake in pregnancy may need to be improved, but further work to define choline requirements in pregnancy is required.