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Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2021) | Viewed by 21521

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Veronica Luque Moreno

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Guest Editor

Pediatrics, Nutrition, and Development Research Unit, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Reus, Spain

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

In this Special Issue of Nutrients, we want to highlight the importance of diet in infancy and childhood for adult health and the development of noncommunicable diseases. It is well known that nutrient factors or a nutritional insult early in life may draw pathways for the development of later obesity, hypertension, type II diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, the development of early adiposity, as well as dietary and physical activity habits in infancy could affect lifestyle and health later in life. Examining the dietary and lifestyle determinants at each phase of early life should lead to the establishment of effective interventions to reduce later morbidity and mortality. This Issue will present analyses of dietary factors that potentially increase cardiovascular risk from infancy or lead to nutrient deficiencies that could affect development, evidence-based proposals for new research gaps, as well as the demonstration of effective strategies to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases.

To highlight the importance of developing early interventions and to find possible windows of opportunity, we invite authors to provide evidence of early determinants and strategies to prevent the development of noncommunicable diseases.

Dr. Veronica Luque Moreno
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

early nutrition
early diet
noncommunicable diseases
infancy
childhood
obesity
cardiovascular disease

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 729 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global e-Learning in Early Nutrition and Lifestyle for International Healthcare Professionals: Design and Evaluation of the Early Nutrition Specialist Programme (ENS)

by Brigitte Brands, Ngoc Nhan Tran, Erin Baudendistel-Happ, Marina Sanchez-Garcia, Martin R. Fischer and Berthold Koletzko

Nutrients 2021, 13(3), 775; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030775 - 27 Feb 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2249

Abstract

Background: Every encounter a healthcare professional has with new or expecting parents offers an opportunity for addressing improved early nutrition and lifestyle. Evidence-based qualification programmes via e-learning offer valuable tools for attenuating the world’s huge double burden of both under- and overnutrition in early childhood. We evaluated use and learner satisfaction of a global e-learning programme on early nutrition and lifestyle addressing international healthcare professionals. Methods: We implemented the Early Nutrition Specialist Programme (ENS) with six interactive e-learning courses on early nutrition building on more than ten years of experience with global e-learning platforms, expert knowledge and an international network in the subject field. We collected descriptive and explorative evaluation data on usage and learner satisfaction with a questionnaire and log data over three years among 4003 learners from 48 countries. Results: Results show high completion of the ENS programme, with 85.5% of learners finalizing the programme after enrollment into the first of six courses. Very good results were provided for learner satisfaction with the courses (96.7% of users), for increasing understanding of the topic (97.4%) and matching the indicated time investment (94.4%). Most predominant themes in the open text fields of user feedback questionnaires were “Increase interactivity or number of audio-visuals”, “Content suggestions or more examples” and “Technical (quality) issues or navigation problems”. Conclusions: The ENS programme evaluation shows high completion rates and level of satisfaction by learners from numerous countries. The different needs for Continuing Medical Education (CME) of healthcare professionals in diverse healthcare system settings can be met by a joint e-learning qualification programme. Further optimizations will be implemented based on user feedback. More research with a learning analytics approach may help to further identify the most effective and efficient didactic and pedagogic elements of e-learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage)

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14 pages, 514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fibre Intake Is Associated with Cardiovascular Health in European Children

by Susana Larrosa, Veronica Luque, Veit Grote, Ricardo Closa-Monasterolo, Natalia Ferré, Berthold Koletzko, Elvira Verduci, Dariusz Gruszfeld, Annick Xhonneux and Joaquin Escribano

Nutrients 2021, 13(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010012 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2737

Abstract

Background: We aimed at analysing the association between dietary fibre intake during childhood and cardiovascular health markers. Methods: We used observational longitudinal analysis and recorded diet using 3-day diaries at the ages of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 years in children from the EU Childhood Obesity Project Trial. At the age of 8, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and biochemical analyses (lipoproteins, triglycerides and homeostasis model for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)) were evaluated. Those parameters were combined into a cardiometabolic risk score through the sum of their internal z-scores. Results: Four-hundred children (51.8% girls) attended to the 8-year visit with a 3-day diary. Adjusted linear regression models showed that children who repeatedly stayed in the lowest tertile of fibre intake during childhood had higher HOMA-IR (p = 0.004), higher cardiometabolic risk score (p = 0.02) and a nonsignificant trend toward a higher SBP at 8 years. The higher the dietary intake of soluble fibre (from fruits and vegetables) at 8 years, the lower the HOMA-IR and the cardiometabolic risk score (p = 0.002; p = 0.004). SBP was directly associated with fibre from potatoes and inversely with fibre from nuts and pulses. Conclusion: A diet rich in dietary fibre from fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts from early childhood was associated to a healthier cardiovascular profile, regardless of children’s weight. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage)

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Review

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21 pages, 513 KiB

Open AccessReview

Assessment of the Risk of Contamination of Food for Infants and Toddlers

by Anita Mielech, Anna Puścion-Jakubik and Katarzyna Socha

Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2358; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072358 - 09 Jul 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5251

Abstract

Infants and toddlers are highly sensitive to contaminants in food. Chronic exposure can lead to developmental delays, disorders of the nervous, urinary and immune systems, and to cardiovascular disease. A literature review was conducted mainly in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, and took into consideration papers published from October 2020 to March 2021. We focused on contaminant content, intake estimates, and exposure to contaminants most commonly found in foods consumed by infants and children aged 0.5–3 years. In the review, we included 83 publications with full access. Contaminants that pose a high health risk are toxic elements, acrylamide, bisphenol, and pesticide residues. Minor pollutants include: dioxins, mycotoxins, nitrates and nitrites, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In order to reduce the negative health effects of food contamination, it seems reasonable to educate parents to limit foods that are potentially dangerous for infants and young children. An appropriate varied diet, selected cooking techniques, and proper food preparation can increase the likelihood that the foods children consume are safe for their health. It is necessary to monitor food contamination, adhere to high standards at every stage of production, and improve the quality of food for children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage)

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25 pages, 509 KiB

Open AccessReview

Association of Protein Intake during the Second Year of Life with Weight Gain-Related Outcomes in Childhood: A Systematic Review

by Natalia Ferré, Verónica Luque, Ricardo Closa-Monasterolo, Marta Zaragoza-Jordana, Mariona Gispert-Llauradó, Veit Grote, Berthold Koletzko and Joaquín Escribano

Nutrients 2021, 13(2), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020583 - 10 Feb 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2991

Abstract

There is accumulating evidence that early protein intake is related with weight gain in childhood. However, the evidence is mostly limited to the first year of life, whereas the high-weight-gain-velocity period extends up to about 2 years of age. We aimed to investigate whether protein intake during the second year of life is associated with higher weight gain and obesity risk later in childhood. We conducted a systematic review with searches in both PubMed^®/MEDLINE^® and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Ten studies that assessed a total of 46,170 children were identified. We found moderate-quality evidence of an association of protein intake during the second year of life with fat mass at 2 years and at 7 years. Effects on other outcomes such as body mass index (BMI), obesity risk, or adiposity rebound onset were inconclusive due to both heterogeneity and low evidence. We conclude that higher protein intakes during the second year of life are likely to increase fatness in childhood, but there is limited evidence regarding the association with other outcomes such as body mass index or change in adiposity rebound onset. Further well-designed and adequately powered clinical trials are needed since this issue has considerable public health relevance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage)

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15 pages, 640 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Triad Mother-Breast Milk-Infant as Predictor of Future Health: A Narrative Review

by Elvira Verduci, Maria Lorella Giannì, Giulia Vizzari, Sara Vizzuso, Jacopo Cerasani, Fabio Mosca and Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti

Nutrients 2021, 13(2), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020486 - 02 Feb 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7594

Abstract

The benefits of human milk for both mother and infant are widely acknowledged. Human milk could represent a link between maternal and offspring health. The triad mother-breast milk-infant is an interconnected system in which maternal diet and lifestyle might have effects on infant’s health outcome. This link could be in part explained by epigenetics, even if the underlining mechanisms have not been fully clarified yet. The aim of this paper is to update the association between maternal diet and human milk, pointing out how maternal diet and lifestyle could be associated with breast-milk composition, hence with offspring’s health outcome. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Nutrition-the Right Foods for Each Stage)

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