Effect of using commercial pre-packaged baby foods on the iron intake of 7-8 months old infants
Abstract Objectives To examine the potential effect on iron intake of 7-8 month-old infants if pre-packaged baby foods (PBFs) were used as the sole source of complementary foods. Design: Based on the 7-day recommended feeding plan for 7-8-month-old infants in Hong Kong (moderate iron-fortified rice cereal with home-cooked meals), 24 modelling scenarios were created which comprised of two milk use modes (breastmilk vs. infant formula); three modes of rice cereal use (no rice cereal; non-iron-fortified rice cereal; iron-fortified rice cereal); and four baby foods usage modes (home-cooked meals; low-iron PBFs only; high-iron PBFs only; mixed PBFs). The PBFs were randomly selected in each of the models and substituted the original meals/snacks. The average daily iron intakes of the modelled meal plans were compared against the Chinese estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for iron. Setting: Modelling study. Participants: N/A. Results: In general, the infant-formula-based complementary feeding pattern (CFP) had higher average daily iron intake when compared with breastmilk-based CFP. The iron intake of all scenarios under the breastmilk-based CFP were below the RNI and EAR, except for the fortified rice cereal meal plans with high-iron or mixed PBFs. For infant-formula-based CFP, the iron intakes were close to or above the RNI regardless of types of PBF or rice cereal used. Conclusions: The inclusion of fortified rice cereal was important in maintaining adequate iron intake for infants, especially for breastfed infants. The replacement of home-cooked meals by low-iron PBFs could potentially put infants at risk of iron deficiency.