Maternal diet, the significance of low birth weight and infant feeding `Food for the baby from its early days in the womb until it is 2-3 years old`

Maternal diet, the significance of low birth weight and infant feeding `food for the baby from its early days in the womb until it is 2-3 years old`

Infant Feeding: The first 6 months

DOH recommendations Breast feeding is the best form of nutrition for infants Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months (26 weeks) of an infant’s life Six months is the recommended age for the introduction of solid foods for infants Breast feeding (and /or breastmilk substitutes) should continue beyond the first six months, along with appropriate types and amounts of solid foods All infants should be managed individually so that sufficient growth or other adverse outcomes are not ignored and appropriate interventions provided. ( DOH statement issued 12/05/03)

1995 National Diet and Nutrition Survey Over 80% of toddlers have a low iron intake Over 70% have low zinc intake Over 50% have a low Vitamin A intake Approx 1 in 8 are anaemic 85% consume more sugar than recommended 50% consume sugar sweetened/ artificially sweetened drinks 30% have tooth decay Toddlers from low income families consume diets low in vitamin C

Comparison between diets of 4-year olds in 1950 & 1990s 1950 per day  Energy 1445 kcal  117g Starch  7.7mg Iron  120g Bread  75g Potatoes  <1g Confectionery  13g Soft drinks/juice 1990s per day  Energy 1228kcal  77g Starch  5.9mg Iron  48g Bread  66g Potatoes  25g Confectionery  446g Soft drinks Prynne CJ et al Public Health Nutrition 2 (4),

Food and nutrition for the under threes 29% of toddlers were eating takeaways at least once a week 19% of mothers serve takeaways or ready meals to their toddler for most meals 65% of mothers never cook fresh meals from scratch especially for their toddler 95% following government guidance to feed their toddler like the rest of the family – but for 44% of mothers that meant using pre-prepared convenience foods 83%mothers reported they were feeding their toddler a healthy, balanced diet Discussion document from the Infant and Toddler Forum

Empower parents though more support and information about the basics of infant & toddler nutrition, including better understanding of food labels Clear, accessible and consistent nutritional guidance for children aged 1 -5 years Better training for health and child care professionals on child nutrition relevant to the toddler years