![[Feedback]](/icons/banner/feedbackACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[For Subscribers]](/icons/banner/subscriberACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Archive]](/icons/banner/archiveACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Search]](/icons/banner/searchACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Contents]](/icons/banner/tocACT.gif){kind=icon}
|
|
|
|
|
||
* Food and Nutrition Program, Pan American Health Organization, Washington D.C. 20007, and
Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
2To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lutterch{at}paho.org.
Adoption of the recommended breast-feeding and complementary feeding behaviors and access to the appropriate quality and quantity of foods are essential components of optimal nutrition for infants and young children between ages 6 and 24 mo. Iron, zinc and vitamin B-6 are deficient in complementary food diets in Bangladesh, Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. Low intakes of iron are consistent with a high prevalence of anemia seen in this age group. The adequacy of observed intakes for calcium, vitamin A, thiamin, folate and vitamin C depends on the age range in question and the set of requirements used in the assessment. The lipid content of many complementary food diets is low. In addition to providing essential fatty acids, lipids are needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and also enhance the texture, flavor and aroma of foods, which may lead to increased intake. The relative roles of palatability, micronutrient deficiency and morbidity-induced anorexia in the appetite of infants and young children are not known. However, even among children who were growth retarded and had a total energy deficit compared with requirements, up to 25% of food offered was not consumed. This indicates that dietary quality rather than quantity is the key aspect of complementary food diets that needs to be improved. Targeted fortification or the production of complementary foods fortified with micronutrients and of an adequate macro- and micronutrient composition is one approach to help meet nutritional requirements during the vulnerable period of 6–24 mo.
KEY WORDS: • fortified complementary foods • complementary feeding • micronutrients • child growth
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. K. Lutter, A. Rodriguez, G. Fuenmayor, L. Avila, F. Sempertegui, and J. Escobar Growth and Micronutrient Status in Children Receiving a Fortified Complementary Food J. Nutr., February 1, 2008; 138(2): 379 - 388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. F Krebs and K M. Hambidge Complementary feeding: clinically relevant factors affecting timing and composition Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2007; 85(2): 639S - 645S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. C. Robert, J. Gittelsohn, H. M. Creed-Kanashiro, M. E. Penny, L. E. Caulfield, M. R. Narro, and R. E. Black Process Evaluation Determines the Pathway of Success for a Health Center-Delivered, Nutrition Education Intervention for Infants in Trujillo, Peru J. Nutr., March 1, 2006; 136(3): 634 - 641. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Allen and R. Shrimpton The International Research on Infant Supplementation Study: Implications for Programs and Further Research J. Nutr., March 1, 2005; 135(3): 666S - 669S. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Recent References J Hum Lact, February 1, 2004; 20(1): 106 - 112. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. K. Lutter and K. G. Dewey Proposed Nutrient Composition for Fortified Complementary Foods J. Nutr., September 1, 2003; 133(9): 3011S - 3020. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
