Feeding in the two first years of life

Nutrient Intakes among Brazilian Children Need Improvement and Show Differences by Region and Socioeconomic Level

Brazil is the most populous country in South America. Using 24 h dietary data, we compared the nutrient intakes of 4–13-year-olds to reference values and tested for regional and socioeconomic (SES) differences. A considerable proportion reported intakes below the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) for vitamins E (78.1%, 96.5%), D (100% for both), and calcium (80.5%, 97.7%) for 4–8 and 9–13-year-olds, respectively. Few exceeded Adequate Intakes (AI) for potassium or fiber. Older children reported greater inadequacies and, while there was regional variability, patterns of inadequacy and excess tended to be similar. For vitamin C, the percent of children below EAR in the Northeast and Southeast was lower than in the South. Most children, regardless of SES, had energy intakes within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs) for carbohydrates and protein. Over a quarter reported total energy from fat less than the AMDR, and inversely associated with SES (low 50.9%, moderate 26.0%, and high 15.0%), but also exceeding the percentage of energy recommendation for saturated fat, increasing with SES (low 18.1%, moderate 38.9%, and high 48.8%). The contrast observed between the diets of young Brazilians and recommendations underscores the need for individual and regional environmental interventions to promote healthier dietary patterns.

Brazilian preschool children attending day care centers show an inadequate micronutrient intake through 24-h duplicate diet

Inadequate micronutrient intake in childhood harms growth and development, and it is related to increased rates of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the dietary intake and prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake in preschool children (1-4 years old) attending two-day care centers. To assess children's dietary micronutrient intake, 24-h duplicate diets (n = 64) were collected for one week-day, including everything the children ate and drank both at home and in kindergarten. Anthropometric measurements were carried out to evaluate the children's nutritional status. The micronutrients copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium, sodium, and manganese were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Calcium and selenium were found with high inadequate intake rates: 50% and 42%, respectively, for children aged 1-3 years old, and 93% and 90% for children aged 4 years. Potassium was consumed in very low amounts, 13% and 5% of children aged 1-3 and 4 years old, respectively, achieved the adequate intake for the nutrient. Sodium intakes were excessive: 23% of the 1-3-year old and 42% of the 4-year-old children, respectively, had an intake higher than the tolerable upper levels. Regarding the nutritional status, overweight and obesity prevalence was 17%. Therefore, considering the damaging health effects for children of micronutrient deficiency and overweight and obesity status, it is necessary that government authorities be aware and update public policies and educational programs in order to promote healthy eating habits in early childhood.

[Food consumption and nutritional adequacy in Brazilian children: a systematic review]

OBJECTIVE:

To perform a review of studies of food consumption and nutritional adaptation in Brazilian infants pointing the main findings and limitations of these studies.

DATA SOURCE:

The articles were selected from Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (Lilacs) (Latin-American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Science Direct in Portuguese and in English. The descriptors were: ''food consumption'', ''nutritional requirements'', ''infant nutrition'' and ''child''. The articles selected were read by two evaluators that decided upon their inclusion. The following were excluded: studies about children with pathologies; studies that approached only food practices or those adaptation of the food groups or the food offert; and studies that did not utilize the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Were selected 16 studies published between 2003 and 2013. In the evaluation of the energy consumption, four studies presented energetic consumption above the individual necessities. The prevalence of micronutrients inadequacy ranged from 0.4% to 65% for iron, from 20% to 59.5% for vitamin A, from 20% to 99.4% for zinc, from 12.6% to 48.9% for calcium and from 9.6% 96.6% for vitamin C.

CONCLUSIONS:

The food consumption of Brazilian infants is characterized by high frequencies of inadequacy of micronutrients consumption, mainly iron, vitamin A and zinc. These inadequacies do not exist only as deficiencies, but also as excesses, as noted for energetic consumption.