Weaning Diet Research Articles

Evaluation of an enzymatically treated soya protein in the diet of weaned pigs

Soya proteins can provoke an immune response and cause diarrhoea in pigs weaned at 3 weeks of age. An enzymatically treated soya protein isolate (NURISH protein) did not have these effects in isolator reared experimental pigs (Miller et al 1992). A blind trial on 4 commercial farms was set up to evaluate NURISH as an alternative to conventional protein sources.On each farm 120 pigs (in 2 or 3 replicates) were fed either a typical commercial weaner diet containing cereals, fishmeal, milk proteins and full fat soya (the control) or a test diet matched for protein (22% CP), lysine (1.6%) and energy (DE 15.1 MJ/kg) with NURISH as the main protein source. Prophylactic antibiotics were not used.

Infant weaning practices in Adelaide: The results of a shopping complex survey

The results are presented of a survey of infant weaning practices carried out in shopping complexes in the Adelaide metropolitan area. The types of foods and fluids currently being consumed by the sample of 258 healthy infants was documented, and a comparison made between the feeding practices of breast and artificially fed infants and with respect to socio-economic status. While the majority of weaning diets were compatible with the South Australian guidelines, 40% of infants under 4 months of age were having solid foods and a greater percentage of these infants were artificially fed. Iron intake may not be optimal after six months of age with the increasing use of cow's milk and non-fortified adult cereals. There is an increasing awareness of the inappropriateness of adding sugar and salt to infant foods; however, foods high in sugar and salt are still being used. The results suggest that parents may not always be aware of or understand the rationale behind recommendations for weaning and that dietary guidelines for adults and children may not always be appropriate for infants. Consistent guidelines for infants, modified to consider current food trends, would be useful for parents.

A CASE OF MALROTATION ASSOCIATING WITH DUODENAL ATRESIA AND MENBRANOUS STENOSIS

We experienced a case of malrotation associating with duodenal atresia and menbranous stenosis. The patient is a male newborn who was born after 33 gestational weeks and weighted 2, 064g at birth. He was operated on at 2 days of age because the abdominal X-ray showed double bubble sign. The operation showed the malrotation and apple peel duodenal atresia. Then Ladd's procedure and end-to-end duodeno-enterostomy were performed after the apple peel portion of the intestine was resected. He developed vomiting after his weaning diet was started. Upper G. I. series showed the severely dilated duodenum at 1 year and 7 months of age. Adhesiotomy of the second operation resulted in no improve-ment of vomiting. Endoscopy finally revealed the menbranous stenosis of the duodenum at 1 year and 10 months of age. The third operation of excision of the menbrane gave good result. The malrotation sometimes associates with some intestinal malformations. Menbranous stenosis of the duodenum is easily overlooked. We think that passing of a balloon catheter into the intestine is useful to find such men-branous stenosis.

Use of ongrownArtemia in nursery culturing of the tiger shrimp

Juvenile and adultArtemia produced in a semi flow-through culture system were used as food for postlarval shrimp. The growth performance of shrimp reared on such ongrownArtemia live prey is identical to the growth obtained when feeding newly hatchedArtemia. However, a significantly better stress resistance is obtained when the postlarvae are exposed to a low salinity in a stress test. Besides nutritional and energetic advantages, the use ofArtemia biomass for feeding postlarval shrimp also results in improved economics as expenses for cysts and weaning diets can be reduced.

The effect of seven binding agents on 24-hour water stability of an artificial weaning diet for the South African abalone, Haliotis midae (Haliotidae, Gastropoda)

The 24-hour water stability of seven different binders for an abalone weaning diet were tested. They included five alginates in combination with two sequestrants, agar, gelatine and a mixture of agar/gelatine. The best water stability was obtained with a 1:3 agar/gelatine mixture which retained 70.7±2.7% of its dry weight after 24 h. A method of preparing this mixture is presented.

Malnutrition Among Weanlings of Developing Countries

Growth retardation occurs primarily during the interuterine period or at weaning (usually at 6-12 months of age) and remains a major problem in developing countries. Malnutrition-induced growth failure during weaning is not recoverable and is associated with a variety of health problems and impaired cognitive function. Growth failure during weaning occurs because energy and nutrient intakes are insufficient due to poor quality diets and because of high infection rates. Proximate biological determinants are influenced by climatic socioeconomic and politicocultural factors affecting food production and distribution. The previously held assumption that insufficient household food availability is responsible for weaning growth retardation has been challenged by observations that the amount of total energy required to support growth is but a fraction of that consumed in households and that weanlings often do not consume all the food that is offered. Therefore overall diet quality may be more important and the most successful intervention may be to improve selected aspects of the diet such as energy density organoleptic characteristics (viscosity flavor aroma and diversity) and micronutrient content and bioavailability. Since attempts to improve energy density of cereal porridges often increase viscosity or overly dilute the nutrient:energy ratios of critical nutrients trials have begun with mylse-treated weaning mixtures. These trials have produced uneven results suggesting that this intervention attractive as it is may not be sufficient to solve the problem. Another possibility is that specific micronutrient deficiencies may impair appetite in weanlings. This would call for formulation of appropriate food mixtures or supplementation of existing diets. In developing these approaches it must be remembered that women in developing countries have very little extra time to improve the quality of home-prepared weaning diets. This of course could be solved through commercialization of weaning mixtures but the costs involved would make such products beyond the means of those families which need them the most. Any attempt to improve weaning diets must also include measures to control childhood infections particularly those which are food-borne. Quality protein maize (QPM) has also been advanced as an advantageous weaning food. QPM has an enhanced protein and fat content and an improved amino acid profile which is balanced and does not require a complementary protein source. Of course this aspect would only be advantageous in situations where protein intake was the crucial deficiency. It is also possible that the energy density and viscosity of QPM diets may still limit adequate intakes especially in cases where weanlings receive only 3 meals a day. Furthermore the issue of the micronutrient content and bioavailability of QPM must be resolved. QPM may have a role in intervention programs but further efforts are needed to find ways to ensure household food security and enhance dietary quality for the poorest families in order to address the widespread problem of infant stunting.

Influence of the weaning diet on the changes of glucose metabolism and of insulin sensitivity

Influence of the weaning diet on the changes of glucose metabolism and of insulin sensitivity

Weaning of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) larvae from Artemia to Moina micrura (Kurz)

M. rosenbergii larvae were gradually weaned from Artemia to Moina at their different stages. The feeding regime in which larvae were weaned on to Moina at stage X (AM10M) resulted in the highest ( P<0.05) yield of 19.21 ± 1.54 PL/l with a corresponding survival of 64.02 ± 5.14%. After day 11, the survival of larvae fed Artemia alone (A) decreased and at day 31, the value (50.15 ± 5.81% with a corresponding production rate of 15.04±1.74 PL/l) was significantly lower ( P<0.05) than those of larvae fed the diets AM8M and AM10M. Larvae fed the weaning diets developed faster at later stages than those fed Artemia alone.

Age differences in stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in a population of prehistoric maize horticulturists

Stable carbon isotope ratios in prehistoric human bone collagen have been used extensively to document the introduction and intensification of maize horticulture in notheastern North America. Most previous studies are based on small samples of adults who are assumed to characterize the diet of the population. In this study, all 29 individuals buried within an Ontario Iroquoian village site dated A.D. 1530-1580 were analysed for stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Age distribution of the sample ranges from preterm to elderly. Significant negative correlations between age and delta 13C, and age and delta 15N values were found. High delta 13C values in infants and young children (delta 13C = -6.8 to -12.3) suggest a weaning diet high in maize. High delta 15N values in infants relative to adults suggest a trophic level effect during breast-feeding which has been reported in a modern sample by Tuross et al. (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 1993). In addition to the isotopic evidence for extremely high carbohydrate (maize) intake, the MacPherson sample includes two juveniles aged 3-4 years, exhibiting circular caries. No other cases of this condition are known in the extensively studied southern Ontario skeletal collections. Together the evidence from dentition and stable carbon isotopes indicates a very high carbohydrate diet in subadults. Circular caries result from developmental stress during enamel formation with subsequent caries formation in areas of thinner enamel. These findings are relevant to studies of infant and early childhood morbidity and mortality among prehistoric maize horticulturists.

The nutritive value of sun‐dried pelagic fish from the rift valley in Africa

AbstractThe small pelagic fish caught in the freshwaters of Africa are mostly sundried and used in meal preparation. They are not generally used in weaning foods. With a view to incorporating fish into weaning diets, the nutritional quality of fish samples from the lakes along the Rift Valley in Africa was assessed.Fish are good sources of protein, ash, and fat. They are poor in vitamins A and E and their contribution to the diet will depend on the amount eaten. Fish lipids are good sources of essential fatty acids. Docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentanoic acid which are important in brain development are present in substantial amounts. Fish is generally low in thiamine and pyridoxine but high in niacin. The content of calcium in whole fish is very high and there are appreciable quantities of zinc and iron. The amino acid profiles are in good agreement with the FAO provisional pattern and to the requirements of infants. The limiting amino acid is tryptophan.

Undernutrition in Nigeria: Dimension, Causes and Remedies for Alleviation in a Changing Socio-Economic Environment

Undernutrition in Nigeria is a long standing problem which has persisted since the 1960s and whose magnitude is on the increase. This is because food consumption, both in quality and quantity, has decreased appreciably, especially with the commencement of the structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1986. Available studies from limited data have indicated that the introduction of economic reforms more than anything else has contributed to reduced food intake and the near collapse of nutrition oriented health delivery services. Since the economic reforms may continue into the next decade and beyond, sustainable remedies for alleviation of the problem are urgently needed. Suggested remedial programmes include increased support for the rural farmers, strengthening of the rural credit schemes that are specifically targeted at the poor, distribution of vitamin A and iron supplements in rural health centres, encouraging production of low cost weaning diets and integrating nutrition education in primary health care schemes and in educational curricula.

The weaning diet of healthy Asian children living in Sheffield. 1. The level and composition of the diet in children from 4 to 40 months of age

A cross sectional study was made of the weighed dietary intake of healthy Asian weanlings aged 4–40 months and living in Sheffield. A weighed 4–(5)‐day dietary inventory was recorded by means of the PETRA recording balance; anthropometric measurements were made, and iron status determined by haematological testing: 194 children were recruited from child‐health clinics, and 120 diet records were reliably completed. Linguistic communication was facilitated by three Asian Link workers.Dietary composition was calculated from a standard food composition programme (Microdiet) with an extended nutrient data base. The mean daily intake of energy, protein and fat, iron and vitamin C was calculated according to age (and sex) grouped into 3‐monthly age brackets from 4 to 24 months and 6‐monthly thereafter. The mean energy intakes were compared with the FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) and Department of Health (1991) reference data; individual energy intakes were also expressed as ratios of the estimated basal metabolic rate (Black et al., 1991).In older age groups, the mean level of energy intake was lower than FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) recommendations but reasonably close to recommendations based on experimental measurements of energy expenditure (Prentice et al., 1988). When energy intake was expressed as a ratio of estimated BMR [Black et al., 1991), the mode lay between BMR+ 1.25 and BMR+ 1.5.The contribution of protein and of fat to the total energy intake was acceptable. At all ages &lt;6 months, the mean intake of iron was lower than the estimated average requirement and below or close to the lower reference nutrient intake [DOH, 1991). The mean intake of vitamin C decreased with increasing age. Milk was a major energy source at all ages and supplied &gt;50% total energy in all age groups &lt;18 months. The observed mean weight and length at each age group suggested that the customary dietary intake had supported reasonable growth.The percentage of dietary energy provided by protein and fat was acceptable at all ages. The observed low intake of dietary iron, largely from non‐haem sources, were associated with a high (34%) prevalence of iron deficiency in these otherwise healthy children (Duggan et al., 1991).

Life Span is Shortened in BHE/cdb Rats Fed a Diet Containing 9% Menhaden Oil and 1% Corn Oil

The effects of feeding 2 or 10% fat on glucose tolerance, blood lipids, life span and tissue pathology of male BHE/cdb rats were studied. Six groups of 30 rats were fed from weaning diets containing 1% corn oil plus either 1 or 9% corn oil (CO diets), menhaden oil (MO diets) or beef tallow (BT diets). Animals that became ill and died were necropsied and their tissues were examined histologically. Glucose tolerance and blood lipids were determined at 300 and 600 d of age. At 300, 500, 600 and 700 d of age subsets of rats were killed and heart, aorta, lungs, liver, pancreas and kidneys collected for histological examination. The experiment was terminated at 700 d. Feeding the high level MO or BT diet delayed the development of glucose intolerance and lipemia. Longevity was shorter in the rats fed the high MO diet. There were few differences among the groups of rats fed the 2% fat diets with respect to glucose tolerance and lipemia. Glomerulosclerosis was observed in all rats but was more severe and appeared earlier in rats fed the high MO diet than in those fed the high CO or BT diets. In rats with severe renal lesions, mineralized foci were observed in soft tissue, notably the aorta and heart. The results of this study indicate that the source and amount of the dietary fat can influence age-related tissue changes and longevity.

Evidence of the ineffectiveness of creep-feeding using a new method for measuring intake by early-weaned piglets

Little is known about how creep-feeding influences later growth rate in pigs. In previous studies, creep-food consumption has been measured by limiting access to food to allow the time spent feeding by individuals to be measured, however there are problems with this approach. Competition for the feeder may result in inaccurate measurement since some piglets may not have the opportunity to feed. Also, piglets will have less opportunity to learn about the food source by observing others. The approach used in the current experiment gave all piglets access to creep-food at the same time, allowing the piglets to feed normally. Any synchronisation in feeding activity that might affect food consumption was possible. Five litters of Large White X Landrace piglets were offered a home-mix starter diet from 10 days of age. A mark and capture technique was employed. The inert marker (Microtracer RF-Ni; Guinness Chemicals Ltd.) was mixed with the diet (30 g/tonne) that was fed to the piglets. The microtracer was a ferro-magnetic alloy powder of minute particle size (25,000 parts/gramme), that resisted dissolution in the gastrointestinal tract and was easily recovered from a faeces-water slurry using a magnetic ‘wand’. Faeces were collected from piglets at 18 days of age. Piglets were weaned at 21 days and were randomly allocated to one of four types of weaner pen, where they remained for 4 weeks. Weaned piglets were fed the starter diet ad lib for 7 days after which they were fed a standard weaner diet. On average 1.9 g (dry matter weight) of faeces were collected from each piglet. The number of particles retrieved from faecal samples (mean = 5.4, range = 0 - 39), and the proportion of iron particles per gramme of dried faeces was calculated for each piglet that was sampled, as an estimate of creep-feed intake. There was a large variation among piglets in creep-feed intake but no significant difference between litters. Females consumed more creep-feed than males (p &lt; 0.001, t-test) (Fig. 1), but experienced the same growth check as males post-weaning. There was no relationship between weight gain post-weaning and creep-feed intake. It was concluded that creep-food consumption, measured using this method, did not influence weight gain post-weaning. This method may be used in association with other methods of measuring creep-food consumption, such as measuring lime-spent at the feeder, to give a more accurate estimate of individual creep-food consumption.

Possible use of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as supplement in infant nutrition: Comparison of weight gained by rats fed on alfalfa and a popular weaning diet

AbstractRats (Wistar strain, 3 weeks old, 12 rats per group) were fed either Alfamix (alfalfa nutrient cake and roasted corn 1:4 w) or Weanimix (roasted groundnut:roasted corn, 1:4 w) or stock diet (commercial rat diet) for 4 weeks to compare the ability of Alfamix and Weanimix to support the growth and general well‐being of the rats. Results indicated that rats fed on Alfamix consumed significantly more feed (11.95 g day−1) than those fed on Weanimix (9.47 g day−1). Furthermore the protein efficiency ratio of the Alfamix group (1.41) was significantly higher than that for the Weanimix group (0.96); consequently, the weight gained by the Alfamix group was higher than that by the Weanimix group. There were no significant differences in the haematological indices of the two groups. These results suggest that alfalfa nutrient cake incorporated into weaning diets of children could enhance their nutritional status.

Nutrition education ‐‐ an intervention programme for malnourished in nutrition rehabilitation centre

Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre incorporated into Primary Health Care Program as Nutrition Education was utilized to teach mothers how to prepare weaning diets from locally available food stuffs. It also served as a centre for the prevention of malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases. A progressive study of two‐years involving 82 malnourished children seen in a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The first attendance recorded high occurrence of diarrhoea despite the wide air coverage of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT). Sixty (72.3%) of the eighty‐two malnourished children previously seen in the Nutrition clinic had diarrhoea. The traditional belief and practice of breastfeeding was sustained by 84.1% of the subjects. Attitude, belief, food handling and preparation were contributory factors in the occurrence of diarrhoeal disease in this study. A great number 29 (35%) of the subjects used unsterilized bottles for feeding and weaning food. Method of preparing supplementary...

Impact of dietary tryptophan and behavioral type on growth performance and plasma amino acids of young pigs

Tryptophan (TRP) content in the protein of the weaning diet was varied from deficient (.70 g/16 g N) to adequate (1.15 g/16 g N) and excess (1.60 g/16 g N) in diets fed to 108 pigs from d 5 to d 26 after weaning (W) and in 72 pigs from d 26 after weaning to slaughter (100 kg live weight) to assess immediate and long-term effects of TRP on performance. Daily weight gain and feed efficiency were improved when dietary TRP was increased from deficient to adequate (+60 and +40%, respectively). Concurrently, daily feed intake was elevated moderately (+15%). No further improvement was observed with excess TRP. In the low TRP group, gain/feed was significantly poorer up to 25 kg live weight, but this effect did not continue later. Although no compensatory growth could be shown in the group fed the deficient diet, growth retardation was very small (1.5%; P greater than .10) at slaughter. Early changes in TRP supply did not affect either carcass or meat quality. Behavioral reactivity, as determined on day W + 5 in an "open-field" test, did not affect early performance, but growth rate during the growing-finishing stage (3.2%) or the whole period (2.5%) was greater by nonemotional than by emotional pigs. Plasma amino acid contents in blood samples, withdrawn on day W + 15 (fed state) and W + 17 (fasted state), were consistent with the effect of TRP on growth rates. However, in the fasted state, a diet x reactivity interaction suggested that TRP removal from the plasma was less rapid in nonemotional than in emotional pigs. Furthermore, increased plasma concentrations of essential amino acids and urea in the latter group suggested that protein and amino acid catabolism was more rapid in emotional than in nonemotional pigs. These data are discussed relative to the effect of the behavioral type of pig on its TRP requirement.

Effect of dietary cholesterol and carbohydrate on small intestinal structure and function in prematurely weaned rats

A study using the prematurely weaned rat as a model for the pig was undertaken to determine the effect of dietary cholesterol and carbohydrate source on small intestinal structure and function. Duodenal and jejunal samples were obtained at 18, 24, and 30 d of age from rats weaned at 15 d of age and from unweaned rats at 15, 18, 24, and 30 d of age. Four 20% CP diets were formulated: two diets used lactose and glucose as the carbohydrate source and two used sucrose and starch as the carbohydrate source; 1% cholesterol was substituted for either glucose or starch in one of each diet type. The unweaned rats consistently gained weight at a faster rate (P less than .01), had greater concentrations of Alcian blue (AB+) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS+) goblet cells (P less than .03), and had more favorable villus height than did the weaned rats. The animals fed cholesterol tended to gain more weight, had more AB+ and PAS+ goblet cells (P less than .03), and had longer villi than did those not fed cholesterol. Lactase activities tended to be greater in the unweaned rats. Sucrase activities were greater in the weaned rats at 18 d (P less than .02). The data indicate that the addition of cholesterol to weaning diets is beneficial in maintaining small intestinal integrity.

Dietary Vitamin-a Deficiency: Effects on Growth, Infection, and Mortality

Vitamin A (VA) has been experimentally linked in animals to growth in weight, host resistance to infection, and survival for nearly eight decades. These consistent findings appear to have their human correlate. VA-deficient children are more likely to have comorbidity and to be stunted in growth, and they have a higher risk of mortality. In several large field trials VA supplementation has reduced mortality by &gt;= 30%. Presumably a similar or greater public health impact can be achieved by improving dietary VA intake. The relation between dietary imbalance and VA deficiency starts at a young age. Early cessation of breast-feeding, poor quality of the weaning diet, and infrequent consumption of VA-rich foods appear to underlie mild xerophthalmia. These dietary imbalances often coexist with food access. We must know how to alter detrimental food habits before dietary interventions can be formulated. Improving dietary quality to enhance VA nutriture will likely carry numerous other nutritional benefits to children.

Feeding behavior of 6- to 12-month-old infants: Assessment and sources of parental information

Both the infant's development of feeding skill and self-regulatory competence during the second 6 months of life have implications for weaning and for a weaning diet. This article examines four categories of feeding skills: taking food from a spoon; handling thicker, lumpy foods and foods that require chewing; self-feeding with fingers or a spoon; and drinking from a cup and managing the bottle. These skills are fundamental for the development of self-regulatory competence through the phases of sensorimotor modulation (from 3 months of age to approximately 9 to 12 months) and control (9 to 12 months of age). Available instruments to assess feeding skill and self-regulatory competence are described. Questions concerning feeding practices in relation to the infant's development of feeding skill and self-regulatory competence are raised. Potential conflicts between professional and lay sources, informational methods used and preferred, and the types of problems for which help is sought are discussed.