Nutritional Intake of Children Aged 9–24 Months in Comparison to Recommended Allowances

Overview

Background.
The transition from exclusively milk feeds to mixed food and later to family diet is a critical periodduring which sub-optimal nutrition considerably increases the risk of nutrition disorders. Based on studies bringingnew information, a number of international and national recommended allowances for energy and nutrients for thisage group were revised during recent years. The aim of presented diet sheets analysis of children aged 9–24 monthswas to evaluate the adequacy of their feeding in comparison with the recommended allowances.Methods and Results. Ninety-seven randomly selected Prague children were enrolled into the study. Their threedays’ food intake (except for breast milk) recorded in the completed 9th, 12th, and 24th month of age was evaluated.The breastfeeding rate was 47.4% in the 9th, 35.2 %in the 12th, and 4.8 % in the 24th month. The mean daily energyintake of non-breastfed infantswas 3.3MJ in the 9th month-old and 3.9MJ in 12th month with 33%of energy providedby fat in the 9th and 12th month and 32 % in the 24th month. The intake of protein was 22 g, 33 g, and 38 g, iron 6.9mg and 8.2 mg, and 7.7 mg. The intakes of minerals, trace elements, and vitamins were equal or higher than eitherWHO or German (2000) recommended daily intakes except for iron and iodine in 9 months. Breast-fed infantsreceived 2.2 MJ energy in the 9th and 2.7 MJ in the 12the month, 18.1 g and 22.7 g protein respectively from thecomplementary food. Fat proportion was 29 and 34 % of the complementary food energy.Conclusions. Energy and nutrient intakes of non-breastfed children were satisfactory, except for too high protein,low iron and iodine intakes, and marginally low proportion of fat in the diet. Lower intakes of iron, calcium, and, in12th month, also of thiamine and folic acid may be tentatively assumed in breastfed infants.

Key words:
infant feeding, complementary food, nutrient intake.