title: [Characteristics of the introduction of foods into the diets of infants in Cuba].
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevailing pattern of introduction of nonmilk foods into the diets of children in Cuba and to assess the degree to which this pattern deviates from internationally accepted recommendations. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a simple random sample of 6,688 children under 1 year of age from all over Cuba. The data were analyzed through logistic regression. The study was carried out in 1990 using the pyramidal structure of the national public health system for the collection of data. Through the status quo method, information was obtained on consumption of four representative foods--juice, vegetables, meat, and fish--and some data were gathered on the child. Consumption prevalence rates were estimated at the beginning and the end of the age ranges (in days) that WHO considers optimum for the introduction of these foods. A marked divergence was found between recommended and actual practice. The recommendations were followed in 3% of the cases for juice, 9% for vegetables, 4% for meat, and 25% for fish. It is noteworthy that noncompliance with the recommendations basically takes the form of early introduction of these foods. The exception is vegetables, which are introduced considerably later than recommended, a fact that seems to reflect a cultural distaste for this food.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuentelsaz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amador
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003462:Cuba; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models
vernacular_title: Características de la introducción de alimentos al lactante en Cuba.