Fruit and vegetable intake during infancy and early childhood

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Public Health
• Childhood Development

Background:

• Establishing healthy eating habits early in life is crucial for long-term well-being.
• Understanding the persistence of dietary patterns from infancy to childhood is essential for effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the timing and frequency of fruit and vegetable intake during infancy and intake at age six.
• To identify potential early predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption in later childhood.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II and its Year 6 Follow-Up (Y6FU) Study.
• Logistic regression modeling was used to examine associations between infant intake and 6-year-old intake, controlling for covariates (n=1078).

Main Results:

• Approximately 31.9% of 6-year-olds consumed fruit less than once daily, and 19.0% consumed vegetables less than once daily.
• Infrequent fruit and vegetable intake during late infancy was significantly associated with increased odds of low intake at age six (AORs 2.48 for fruit, 2.40 for vegetables).
• The age of fruit and vegetable introduction did not show an association with intake at age six.

Conclusions:

• Infrequent fruit and vegetable consumption in infancy is a predictor of similar eating patterns at age six.
• Findings underscore the importance of promoting fruit and vegetable intake during infancy.
• Further research is needed to identify and address barriers to adequate fruit and vegetable consumption in infants.