[Nutritional intake of children aged 9-24 months in comparison to recommended allowances].
BACKGROUND
The transition from exclusively milk feeds to mixed food and later to family diet is a critical period during which sub-optimal nutrition considerably increases the risk of nutrition disorders. Based on studies bringing new information, a number of international and national recommended allowances for energy and nutrients for this age group were revised during recent years. The aim of presented diet sheets analysis of children aged 9-24 months was to evaluate the adequacy of their feeding in comparison with the recommended allowances.


RESULTS
Ninety-seven randomly selected Prague children were enrolled into the study. Their three days' 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 energy intake of non-breastfed infants was 3.3 MJ in the 9th month-old and 3.9 MJ in 12th month with 33% of energy provided by 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 6.9 mg and 8.2 mg, and 7.7 mg. The intakes of minerals, trace elements, and vitamins were equal or higher than either WHO or German (2000) recommended daily intakes except for iron and iodine in 9 months. Breast-fed infants received 2.2 MJ energy in the 9th and 2.7 MJ in the 12th month, 18.1 g and 22.7 g protein respectively from the complementary 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, in 12th month, also of thiamine and folic acid may be tentatively assumed in breastfed infants.
Ustav hygieny a epidemiologie 1. LF UK, Praha. ekudl@lf1.cuni.cz
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Kudlová
D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009751:Nutritional Requirements