Complementary Feeding Practices in a Cohort of Italian Late Preterm Infants

Maria Giannì,Nicola Pesenti,Lorenzo Colombo,Elena Bezze,Fabio Mosca,Salvatore Muscolo,Laura Plevani,Patrizio Sannino,Camilla Rossetti,Paola Roggero

doi:10.3390/nu10121861

Abstract

Limited data are available on complementary feeding in preterm infants, who show increased nutritional needs and are at risk of altered postnatal growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the timing and content of complementary feeding in a cohort of late preterm infants. We conducted a prospective, observational study, including mothers who had given birth to infants admitted to level I or II of care with a gestational age between 34 and 36 weeks. Mothers were contacted at 3, 6 and 12 months after delivery by phone calls and were asked about their infant’s mode of feeding and the timing and schedule of the introduction of different solid foods types. A total of 49 mothers and 57 infants completed the study. The mean postnatal age of the introduction of complementary foods was 5.7 ± 0.7 months. Low energy and/or low protein-dense foods were first introduced in most infants. Fruit as the first type of complementary food in the infant’s diet was associated with a 1.6-month advance in initiating complementary feeding. The present findings provide further insight into complementary feeding practices in late preterm infants and underline the need for specific recommendations addressing this vulnerable population.

Highlights

The introduction of complementary feeding, that is, feeding of food aside from milk in the infant’s diet, together with a reduction of the milk intake [1], puts the infant at risk of nutritional deficits or excesses, since it occurs during a period characterized by rapid growth and development [2,3].In addition, extensive evidence indicates that inadequate nutrition during early life may potentially have negative long-term health effects [4]
We decided to categorize this latter variable as fruit vs. others on the basis of the results reported by Carletti et al [15], who found that, in their cohort of infants, fruit was the first complementary food type to be introduced
Of the 146 late preterm infants that were born during the study period, 126 were eligible for the study

Summary

Introduction

The introduction of complementary feeding, that is, feeding of food aside from milk in the infant’s diet, together with a reduction of the milk intake [1], puts the infant at risk of nutritional deficits or excesses, since it occurs during a period characterized by rapid growth and development [2,3].In addition, extensive evidence indicates that inadequate nutrition during early life may potentially have negative long-term health effects [4]. The introduction of complementary feeding, that is, feeding of food aside from milk in the infant’s diet, together with a reduction of the milk intake [1], puts the infant at risk of nutritional deficits or excesses, since it occurs during a period characterized by rapid growth and development [2,3]. The timing of the introduction of complementary foods and its related adequateness and safety are critical to meeting infants’ nutritional requirements and promoting their good future health [5]. The complementary period allows the infant to be exposed to new foods and feeding experiences, which contribute to modulation of the brain connections implicated in the mechanisms controlling for food intake, affecting long-term eating behavior [2]. The introduction of complementary foods gradually guides the infant towards eating family foods and attaining the family’s diet model [3,6].

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion