Impact of promoting healthy infant feeding practices on energy intake and anthropometric measures of children up to 6years of age: A randomised controlled trial.

Abstract

The first 2years of life are the window of opportunity to promote healthy feeding practices. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the impact of a health workers training in infant dietary guidelines on energy intake and anthropometric measurement into childhood. Cluster randomised field trial (NCT00635453) was conducted in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Healthcare centres were randomised into intervention (n=9) and control (n=11) groups. In intervention sites, health workers were trained to promote healthy feeding practices based on the Brazilian guideline for children's nutrition. Pregnant women who were in the last trimester of pregnancy were registered as potential mothers who would receive dietary counselling from the health workers. Energy and macronutrient intake and anthropometric measurements were obtained from children at ages 6months, 12months, 3years and 6years from low-income families. At age 3years, intervention group had lower consumption of energy [-92.5kcal; 95% confidence interval (CI)=-153.5 to -31.5], carbohydrates (-11.9g; 95% CI=-19.9 to -2.3), and total fat (-3.9g; 95% CI=-6.2 to -1.2), compared to the control group. At 6years of age, children in the intervention group had lower waist circumference (-1.3cm; 95% CI=-2.7 to -0.0), triceps (-1.3mm; 95% CI=-2.5 to -0.0) and subscapular skinfolds (-1.3mm; 16 95% CI=-2.6 to -0.0) thickness measurements compared to those in the control group. The health workers training to promote infant healthy feeding practices resulted in lower energy, carbohydrates and fat intake at 3years and lower waist circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfolds measurements at 6years.