Large prospects for infant nutrition
Later this year, the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be unveiled. It will include guidelines for the first time for infants up to age two as well as pregnant and nursing women. The Guidelines seem to encompass recommendations for infant formula and breast milk as well as guidance on when and what to start feeding newborns supplemental foods.
However, the Atlanta-based newborn Nutrition Council of America, an association of manufacturers of newborn formulas, follow-up formulas, and growing-up milks, believes it is unlikely that the Guidelines will include recommendations on plant-based versus dairy-based or organic versus conventional products.
According to Infant Nutrition Council of America President Mardi Mountford, “it is widely acknowledged that the first 1,000 days of life are a critical window of time for human growth and development, laying the groundwork for lifelong health. For this reason, the Council strongly supports the United States initiative to provide guidance for the B-24 (birth to 24-month) population.”
Every five years, the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services revise the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. An advisory committee on dietary guidelines has convened four times previously. A webinar-only meeting is set for May 11 and a fifth meeting was planned for March 12–13 in Washington.
Potential uses of folic acid
Pregnant women may be advised to consume bread enhanced with folic acid as part of the forthcoming Guidelines, as this has been associated with a lower incidence of birth abnormalities.
According to Lee Sanders, senior vice president of government relations and public affairs at the American Bakers Association in Washington, “the pregnancy and lactation working group (within the DGAC) reported that there were very few studies with substantial evidence strong enough to make a conclusion about the diet of lactating mothers, especially with regard to supplement intake.” “Having said that, we have reiterated in ABA’s latest remarks the significance of enriched grains containing folic acid and their role in reducing neural tube defects in the United States since 1998.”
Since the US government began requiring folic acid to be fortified in enriched cereal grains and enriched cereal grain products in 1998, there has been a 35% nationwide decline in the number of newborns born with neural tube abnormalities. Referring to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ms. Sanders noted that one of the top ten public health accomplishments of the first ten years of the twenty-first century was the decrease in neural tube defects.
For newborns, breastfeeding is the advised course of action; baby formula may also be covered by the Guidelines.
The Infant Nutrition Council of America states that the only safe and suggested substitute for nursing is infant formula that has been approved by the FDA and is registered with them. It also adds that vitamin D supplements are necessary for newborns who are breastfed.
“For those who cannot or choose not to be breastfed during their first year of life, the Infant Nutrition Council of America supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ position that breastfeeding is the preferred infant feeding method and that iron-fortified infant formula is the only safe and appropriate alternative to breast milk,” Ms. Mountford stated.
According to the council, supplementary foods should be provided to infants between the ages of four and six months, depending on their developmental stage. Supplementary feeding and health parameters like as micronutrient status, growth, size, and body composition, developmental milestones including neurocognitive development, food allergies and atopic allergy illnesses, and bone health are all being investigated by the DGAC.
The government’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program already provides recommendations for infants between the ages of six and twelve months regarding the type of foods high in protein (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and legumes); fruits; vegetables; and grain products (such as cereal, baby crackers, bread, noodles, corn grits, and soft tortilla pieces) that should be consumed. Iron-fortified baby cereals are advised by WIC.
Concerns about dairy and baking
Following their presentations of study results to the DGAC, the dairy and grain-based food industries are anticipating positive news in the Guidelines.
In September 2019, medical and nutrition organizations advised children under five years old to limit their intake of liquids to breast milk, infant formula, water, plain milk, and 100% juice. For children under one year old, the only approved beverages were breast milk and infant formula. The recommendations were developed in consultation with specialists from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
As per the comments filed with the DGAC by the International Dairy Foods Association, Washington, infants and toddlers ought to be introduced to foods like yogurt and cheese at an early age. The IDFA states that whole milk should be the recommended beverage after one year of age.
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According to Gemma Hart, vice president of communications and community affairs at Danone SA, based in Paris, the company has multiple suggestions for the Guidelines. According to Danone, yogurt should be among the first supplementary foods given to a baby at six months of age. supplementary foods should also be low in sugar and sodium and offer chances to improve the baby’s acceptance of vegetables. According to Danone, there are differences in the forms, sources, and health effects of saturated fat, therefore information on dairy fat should be taken into account when creating the guidelines.
The IDFA noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics advises introducing yogurt to newborns between the ages of 9 and 12 months, while the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners promotes yogurt eating by infants 6 months and older.
In their submissions to the DGAC, the grain-based food sector cited a study published online in Nutrients on November 20, 2019, that was supported by the Grain Foods Foundation, based in Washington. According to the study, babies who ate grains had higher fiber intake along with several other minerals and vitamins in
their diet in contrast to babies that didn’t eat grains. Nutritional Strategies, Inc. used 24-hour dietary recall newborn data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for their study. The results were submitted by the “Grain Chain” in a letter to the DGAC dated January 22.
The letter stated, “Grain foods are essential to infants’ and children’s’ growth and development.” As some of the first solid meals that babies eat, cereal and rice offer important nutrients for healthy growth and development. Iron, a nutrient deficiency, and numerous B vitamins are particularly abundant in enriched grains. These grain-based snacks also help babies make the switch to solid foods.
“In addition, introducing whole grains into toddlers’ and young children’s diets will assist them in adjusting to the flavor and texture of whole grains, which could lead to the adoption of whole grains at a younger age and help them get closer to meeting the recommended intake of whole grains.”
The Independent Bakers Association, the National Pasta Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the North American Millers’ Association, the Retail Bakers of America, the Wheat Foods Council, the USA Rice Federation, the ABA, AIB International, the Cereal and Grains Association, the Grain Foods Foundation, and the National Bakers Association are among the organizations that make up Grain Chain.
Not under review categories
According to the Infant Nutrition Council of America, questions about the distinctions between organic and non-organic foods and plant-based milk substitutes are not included in the systematic study that the DGAC is now conducting.
Both organic infant food and plant-based milk substitutes seem to be becoming more and more popular. One such is Else Nutrition Holdings, Inc., a Vancouver, British Columbia-based company that provides plant-based, non-dairy, and non-soy products for infants and young children. The company has been given patents in the US, Australia, Israel, and Japan for its newborn formula, which is based on a blend of buckwheat and almonds. 2019 saw the announcement of Lewis Center, Ohio-based Nature’s One that their Baby’s Only Organic formulas now included organic docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid. The brand also introduced Baby’s Only Organic toddler formula, which is made from plant-based pea protein.
More investigation is required.
Whatever the guidelines may be, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should encourage further studies on moms who are pregnant or nursing as well as infants up to the age of two.
According to Ms. Sanders, “establishing science-based recommendations for infants and toddlers is a huge and important task.” “The committee needs to look at complementary and introduction foods in addition to breastfeeding and baby formula. Few published studies have examined the dietary habits of this particular population, and even fewer have examined the benefits of grain products for young children.
According to Ms. Mountford, there are gaps in the science about baby food.
She stated, “We think the Guidelines should include B-24 recommendations that are realistic for today’s families and grounded in science.” Therefore, “the 2020–25 release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides a chance to explain what is known about baby nutrition and feeding patterns, even while there are acknowledged gaps in the scientific literature.”