Types of liquids in Mexican infants’ diets: results from three National Health and Nutrition Surveys (393.1)

Abstract

Types of liquids in Mexican infants’ diets: Results from three National Health and Nutrition Surveys González de Cosío T, Escobar‐Zaragoza L, González‐Castell D, Rodríguez‐Ramírez S.Studies on infant dietary intake do not focus generally on the types of liquids consumed, which deter exclusive breastfeeding and relate to future obesity.Our objective was to describe the types of liquids present in Mexican <1y infants’ diets, by age and breastfeeding status (BFS).Methodology: We used 3 National Health & Nutrition Surveys (1999, 2006, 2012) and analyzed information on infant feeding practices for <1y‐olds by status quo.We calculated median age of consumption (MAC) of: plain water, formula, nutritive liquids (NL; thinned cereal‐based gruel with water or milk, coffee with milk, fruit juices) and non‐nutritive liquids (NonNL; sugared water, water‐based drinks, tea, beans or chicken broth, coffee, sugar‐sweetened soft drinks); and confidence intervals with boot‐strap method with 1,000 reps.Results: MAC for all liquid types was shorter than the recommendation by WHO (>6 mo); generally liquids tended to be consumed earlier in non‐breastfed (BF) than BF infants, differences not statistically significant. Water MAC was 3mo; 5 mo for NonNL, and between 5‐>11mo for NL. MAC differences between BFS among surveys were heterogeneous. Conclusions: Non‐breastmilk liquids are present undesirably early in Mexican infants’ diets; NonNL are consumed earlier than NL, highlighting that negative dietary practices in Mexican children set off early in life.