Evduáion of the Composition aid Nutritive Vdue of Older Infaits' Food

Overview

The second hdf of the Hrst year of life is acriticd period of transition from exclusively milk feeds to mixed food, during which it is necessary to introduce and gradudly increase the variety of food fed in order to fulfil the increasing nutrition demands, and during which suboptimd nutritio n considerdily increases the risk of nutrition disorders. The ám of presented longitudind study was to evduate the food composition and nutritive vdue during this period. Ninety-seven randomly selected Prague children were enrolled into the study. Three days' food intakes (except for breastmilk) recorded in completed 9th and 12th months of age were evduated. The breartfeeding rate was 47.4% in 9 and 35.2% in 12 months. The mean milk intake daly frequency was 4.5 in breastfed and 1.6 in non-breastfed children; the frequency of complementary food intake was 4.6. The meai food energy density was 3.5 kJ/100 g (0.8 kcd/100 g). The mean milk intake (mostly breast-milk substitutes) of non-breastfed children was 252 ml in 9 and 387 ml in 12 months. AU children received milk products, cered foods and fruits in amean daly quantity of 105 g, 156 g, and 136 g respectively. Eighty-one (84 %) children received meat, 90 (93 %) vegetables, 65 (67 %) potatoes in amean quantity of 21.4 g, 23 g, aid 53 g, respectively. Herbd aid fruit teas were the drinks given most frequently (71%), followed by juice (38%). Six children (6%) drank black or green tea The mean daly energy intake of non-breastfed infaits was 33 MJ in 9 months and 3.9 MJ in 12 months with 33 % of energy provided by fat; the intake of protein was 22 g and 33 g, iron 6.9 mg and 8.2 mg. The intake of minerds, trace elements, aid vitamins was equd or higher thai either WHO or Germai (2000) recommended daly intake except for the intake of iron and iodine in 9 months. Breast-fed infaits received from complementary food 2.2 MJ energy in 9 and 2.7 MJ in 12 months, 14.6 g and 19.2 g protein, 2.7 mg and 3 mg iron, 168 mg and 229 mg cdcium, respectively. Fat proportion was 25 and 31 % of complementary food energy. In conclusion, it may be stated that positive, dbeit not entirely satisfactory, was the breastfeeding rate. Most children consumed avariety of food from dl food groups. Energy and nutrient intakes were satisfactory, except for too high protein, low iron and iodine intakes and margindly low proportion of fat in the diet.

Key words:
infant feeding, complementary food, nutrient intíke