title: Maternal dietary counseling reduces consumption of energy-dense foods among infants: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a dietary counseling in reducing the intake of energy-dense foods by infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  São Leopoldo, Brazil. Mothers and infants of a low-income-group population were randomized into intervention (n = 163) and received dietary counseling during 10 home visits, or control (n = 234) groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child consumption of sugar-dense (SD) and lipid-dense (LD) foods at 12 to 16 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of the intervention was expressed by relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between exclusive breastfeeding and the energy-dense foods intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A smaller proportion of infants from the intervention group consumed candy, soft drinks, honey, cookies, chocolate, and salty snacks. In the intervention group, there was a reduction of 40% and 50% in the proportion of infants who consumed LD and SD foods, respectively. Being breastfed up to 6 months reduced the risk for consumption of LD and SD foods by 58% and 67%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary counseling to mothers may be effective in reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods among infants, and it is helpful in improving early dietary habits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. vitolo@ufcspa.edu.br
authors.forename: Marcia Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Gisele Ane
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bortolini
authors.forename: Paula Dal Bo
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Campagnolo
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats