Main complementary food ingredients contributing to aflatoxin exposure to infants and young children in Kongwa, Tanzania

Background: Meeting the nutritive needs of infants and young children is a challenge in Ghana. Alternative animal source foods, including insects, could enhance infant and young child dietary quality while also improving livelihoods. Objective: To investigate the perspectives of Ghanaian stakeholders on the acceptability of the palm weevil larvae ( akokono) as a food source and the feasibility of micro-farming this local edible insect as a complementary food for infants and young children. Methods: We conducted an ethnographic study in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. First, 48 caregivers were asked questions about feeding and care practices, including attitudes toward production and consumption of akokono. Then, a selection of previously interviewed respondents joined 1 of 8 focus group discussions to provide further insight on key themes that emerged from earlier interviews. Concurrently, interviews with 25 other key local stakeholders were conducted. Results: Respondents generally had favorable perceptions of akokono as a nutritious food. A small minority would not consume akokono for religious reasons. Key factors positively influencing the acceptability of akokono as a complementary food were familiarity with the consumption of akokono by the primary caregiver and health worker endorsement of akokono. Stakeholders consider the larvae farmable and were open to its domestication. Conclusions: Anticipated barriers to scaling up akokono micro-farming include a need for greater familiarity with and acceptance of the insect as food for infants and young children and creation of a sustainable market. Engagement with stakeholders, including health workers, will facilitate use of akokono as a complementary food.

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The Effect of the Yingyangbao Complementary Food Supplement on the Nutritional Status of Infants and Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11102404 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 2404 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Li ◽

Sudfeld ◽

Liu ◽

Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Hemoglobin Concentration ◽

Food Supplement ◽

Pooled Analysis ◽

Complementary Food ◽

Concurrent Control ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Infants And Young Children

Yingyangbao (YYB) is a nutrient-dense complementary food supplement for infants and young children in China. There has been considerable interest and research on the potential effects of YYB on hematological and anthropometric outcomes in China, but limited effort has been made to consolidate and synthesize the evidence to inform the research and policy agendas. Eight English databases and three Chinese databases were searched from January 2001 to June 2019 to identify YYB intervention studies. A total of 32 quasi-experimental, post-only, concurrent-control studies or pre-post studies were identified, and 26 were included in the meta-analyses. A pooled analysis of post-only studies with concurrent-control determined that YYB was associated with an increase of 4.43 g/L (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.55, 7.30) hemoglobin concentration, 2.46 cm (CI 0.96, 3.97) in height, and 0.79 kg (CI 0.25, 1.32) weight in infants and young children. YYB was also associated with reductions in the prevalence of anemia (risk ratio (RR) = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.67), stunting (RR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.81), and underweight (RR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.65). Overall, YYB was found to be associated with improved hematological and anthropometric indicators among infants and young children in China; however, randomized trials are needed to causally assess the efficacy of YYB due to the inherent risk of bias in existing quasi-experimental studies; rigorous implementation and cost-effectiveness evaluations are also needed.

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