Food and nutrient intake in a cohort of 8-month-old infants in the south-west of England in 1993

Objective. To investigate food and nutrient intakes in 8-month-old infants. Design. Prospective study. Setting: Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC), south-west England. Subjects: A total of 1131 singleton Caucasian infants (82% of those invited) from a 10% random sample of ALSPAC, known as Children in Focus (CIF). Methods: Diet was assessed using a structured 3-day unweighed dietary record. Food and nutrient intakes were compared with intakes from the 6-9 month age group of a British infant feeding survey, which formed part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). Nutrient intakes were compared with dietary reference values (DRV). Results: Intakes of energy and most nutrients were very similar between CIF and NDNS. The main difference was in the type of fat eaten resulting in a higher polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio in CIF (0.34) compared with NDNS (0.21). Other differences included the much lower calcium and iodine intakes in CIF compared with the NDNS. Differences in the proportion of consumers of formula and cow's milk accounted for most of the nutrient differences. Energy intakes were similar to the estimated average requirements (EAR), however, breastfed infants were slightly below and non-breastfed were slightly above the EAR. Mean intakes of zinc and vitamin D were below the Reference Nutrient Intakes. Conclusions: The diets of 8-month-old infants in this study were adequate in most nutrients. Breastfed infants had slightly lower energy intakes than non-breastfed infants. Sponsorship: Cow and Gate/Nutricia, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Department of the Environment, MAFF.