Feeding infants and young children. From guidelines to practice

Abstract

Following a workshop on infant feeding held at the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen on March 17, 2010 experts were invited to exchange ideas and to review evidence on both pre and post natal dietary environments in shaping children's eating habits. A central theme during the workshop was the idea of "sensitive periods" during infancy for learning about foods and a particular focus was developed around acceptance and intake of fruits and vegetables. Presentations covered the guidelines provided by various governments on how to feed infants during weaning; the importance of the in utero experience; the impact of varying the sensory experience at weaning; the effect of parenting styles and practices on children's eating habits; the use of visual experience in promoting intake of vegetables; and reports from mothers regarding their decisions about weaning and the introduction of vegetables. This collection of papers seeks to review guidance from governments on feeding infants and to consider current evidence on parental feeding practices with the aim of enhancing insight into best practice in establishing healthy eating in children.

Taste, olfactory, and food reward value processing in the brain

“…For example children may not take readily to a wide range of vegetables, yet find sweet foods palatable (Birch, 1999;Hetherington et al, 2011). Adults may find a wide range of foods pleasant.…”

The dynamics of parenting and early feeding – constructs and controversies: a viewpoint

“…From infancy, what, when and how much children eat, is determined by the interaction between the child's behaviour (including their cues of hunger and emotional states), the parent's recognition of and responsiveness to these cues and the parent's beliefs and attitudes regarding nutrition and child-rearing more generally. These parent-child interactions around food and eating shape the development of food preferences and dietary self-regulation, (Birch, 2006;Hetherington, Cecil, Jackson, & Schwartz, 2011) and offer a plausible focus for early life interventions to prevent childhood overweight. However, understanding the specific ways in which parent-child ISSN interactions shape children's eating and influence weight is still in its relative infancy.…”

A study of early complementary feeding determinants in the Republic of Ireland based on a cross-sectional analysis of the Growing Up in Ireland infant cohort

“…The introduction of complementary foods into an infant's diet is an important process not only for developmental and growth reasons, but also because of its potential long-term effects on health (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11) . Providing a balanced diet while adhering to introduction times recommended by guidelines is pivotal during this period of rapid growth, not only because of the high probability of nutritional deficiencies but also because early complementary feeding has been shown by some studies to increase the risk of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases later in life (5,6,(8)(9)(10) .…”