Weaning among Colonists from Montreal and Environs

This paleochemical study explores the differences and similarities in weaning practices between two colonist populations buried in Montreal and its environs: the rural village cemetery of Pointe-aux-Trembles (PT, 1709–1843) and the urban Notre-Dame cemetery (ND, 1691–1796). Forty-six teeth (or individuals) were microsampled in both crown and root parts of the dentine (one to four and four to six sampling sites for deciduous and permanent teeth, respectively), totaling 56 microsamples for PT (seven M1, seven m1, and three m2) and 102 for ND (22 M1 and seven m1). For both sites, a general decrease of 1.3‰ in δ15N (ranging from 0.5‰ to 2.6‰) was observed between the first and last samples for permanent teeth (PT: five out of seven individuals; ND: 14 out of 22), and weaning seems to end around 2 years of age. As expected, in both parishes, weaning was mainly gradual (80%: PT; 86%: ND). An introduction of complementary food was also identified after 6 months of age (73%: PT; 81%: ND). The variation in δ15N profiles suggested other scenarios such as introduction of complementary foods just after birth (four PT and four ND), absence of breastfeeding (three PT and nine ND), and abrupt weaning (three ND). Environmental and socioeconomic factors might explain these individual variations, as infant feeding practices might have changed over time in these two growing and closely related parishes. Cette étude paléochimique explore les différences et les similitudes dans les pratiques de sevrage entre deux populations de colons enterrées à Montréal et ses environs : le cimetière rural du village de Pointe-aux-Trembles (PT, 1709–1843) et le cimetière urbain de Notre-Dame (ND, 1691–1796). Quarante-six dents (ou individus) ont été micro-échantillonnées dans la dentine de la couronne et des racines (1 à 4 et 4 à 6 sites d'échantillonnage pour les dents de lait et les dents permanentes respectivement), totalisant 56 micro-échantillons pour PT (7 M1, 7 m1 et 3 m2) et 102 pour ND (22 M1 et 7 m1). Pour les deux sites, une diminution du d 15N d’une moyenne de 1,3‰ (allant de 0,5 à 2,6‰) a été observé entre le premier et le dernier micro-échantillon pour les dents permanentes (PT : 5 sur 7 individus ; ND : 14 sur 22), et le sevrage semble se terminer vers l'âge de deux ans. Comme attendu, dans les deux paroisses, le sevrage a été principalement progressif (80 % : PT ; 86 % : ND). Une introduction d'aliments complémentaires a également été identifiée après l'âge de six mois (73 % : PT ; 81 % : ND). La variation des profils des valeurs de δ15N permet également de suggérer d'autres scénarios tels que : l'introduction d'aliments complémentaires juste après la naissance (4 PT et 4 ND), l'absence d'allaitement (3 PT et 9 ND) et un sevrage abrupt (3 ND). Des facteurs environnementaux et socio-économiques pourraient expliquer ces variations individuelles, car les pratiques d'alimentation des nourrissons pourraient avoir changé au fil du temps dans ces deux paroisses en pleine croissance et étroitement liées.

Protocol for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate a community level complementary food safety and hygiene and nutrition intervention in Mali: The MaaCiwara study

Background Diarrheal disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among the under-fives in many low- and middle-income countries. Changes to food safety practices and feeding methods around the weaning period, alongside improved nutrition, may significantly reduce the risk of disease and improve development for infants. This article describes a protocol for a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted community-based educational intervention that aims to improve food safety and hygiene behaviours and enhance child nutrition. Methods We will conduct a mixed-methods, parallel cluster randomised controlled trial with baseline measures. 120 clusters comprising small urban and rural communities will be recruited in equal numbers and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either treatment or control arms. Participants will be mother-child dyads (27 per cluster period) with children aged 6 to 24 months. Data collection will comprise a day of observation and interviews with each participating mother-child pair and will take place at baseline and four and 15 months post-intervention. The primary analysis will estimate the effectiveness of the intervention on changes to complementary food safety and preparation behaviours, food and water contamination, and diarrhoea. Secondary outcomes include maternal autonomy, enteric infection, nutritional content of meals, and child anthropometry. A secondary structural equation analysis will be conducted to examine the causal relationships between the different outcomes. Conclusions The trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of community-based behavioural change and educational interventions designed to reduce the burden of diarrhoeal disease in the under fives, and how effectiveness varies across different contexts.

Commercial Complementary Food in Germany: A Market Survey

Background: As consumption of commercial complementary food (CCF) during infancy and toddlerhood is common, the aim of the present study was to describe the current (2020) German market of CCF products with a special focus on ingredients, macronutrients, and the practice of nutrient fortification.Methods: Information on age declarations, ingredients, energy and nutrient contents, and nutrient fortification of 1057 CCF products was obtained by contacting the producers and searching manufacturers' websites. Each product was assigned to one of thirteen product categories (menus, milk-cereal-meal, fruit-cereal-meal, oil, vegetables, meat, fish, fruits, cereals, snack foods, pouches, desserts, beverages) and stratified into infants’ CCF (< 12 months, n=829) and toddlers’ CCF (> 12 months, n=228). Descriptive statistics were used in order to give an overview of the available products.Results: Highest protein content (% of energy content, %E) was found in meat products. More than 50 %E of total sugar was found in pouches, beverages, cereal fruit meals, and fruits. Highest median salt content was found in toddlers’ menus and desserts. Around one third of infants’ CCF products and one quarter of toddlers’ products were fortified with nutrients. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) was the most frequently fortified nutrient, followed by vitamin C, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Apple was the type of fruit listed most often in products with fruits, whereas carrot was the most frequent vegetable among CCF with vegetables. Conclusion: The available product categories as well as the high sugar content of most CCFs currently available on the German market may promote unhealthy dietary habits. Parents need to be educated about the optimal selection of products.

Complementary Feeding and Growth in Infants Born Preterm: A 12 Months Follow-Up Study

Evidences demonstrated that timing of weaning influences long-term growth in full term infants. However, studies on preterm infants are still lacking, and the international guidelines are focused only on healthy full-term newborn, without consensus for preterms. We aimed at evaluating, in a cohort study, the consequences of different timing of weaning on auxological outcomes up to 12 months of corrected age in a population of neonates born with gestational age < 32 weeks or birth weight <1500 g. We divided the enrolled neonates in two cohorts according to the timing of weaning: (i) Early Weaning: introduction of complementary food before 6 months of corrected age; (ii) Late Weaning: complementary food introduced after 6 months of corrected age. Growth parameters (weight, length, body mass index, and ponderal index) were measured at 12 months of life. The two groups were statistically comparable for baseline clinical characteristics, and differences on growth parameters were not reported between the two study groups. These results were confirmed in linear and binary logistic regression multivariate models. Timing of weaning is not related to growth of preterm newborns in the first 12 months of corrected age. Studies are needed to reach consensus for the appropriate nutritional approach for preterm babies after discharge.

A mixture design approach to developing a cereal-based complementary meal for better nutritional quality

Adequate nutrition is imperative during infancy and childhood because a short period of malnutrition could have a long-term effect on growth, development and health in the adult life. A mixture design approach was deployed to optimize the composition of a complementary food produced from available food ingredients – for better nutritional quality. A complementary meal was formulated from a mix of yellow maize, sorghum, millet, soybean, groundnut, crayfish and fish. The complementary food was analyzed for nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors alongside traditional ogi (a fermented maize porridge popularly used as food for children) and another commercially available baby food. Quadratic models were able to explain the moisture and protein content of the complementary food with a R2 of 0.8177 and 0.7284, respectively. Special cubic models were able to explain the ash, fat and crude fibre content of the complementary food with R2 of 0.9022, 0.8352, and 0.8228, respectively. Multi-response optimization was deployed to obtain an optimised complementary meal. The multi-response optimization was set to minimize moisture while it maximized the ash, protein, crude fibre, and fat of the flour blend. The optimized complementary meal had higher ash, fat, fibre and protein content compared to ogi. A 100 g portion of the complementary meal contained 20.26 g crude protein, 8.13 g fat, 55.75 g carbohydrates and yielded up to 377.21 kcal of energy while a 100 g portion of the ogi contained 5.71 g crude protein, 1.04 g fat, 83.86 g carbohydrates and energy yield of 367.64 kcal. The mineral contents of the optimized blend per 100 g portion included potassium (406.10 mg), calcium (50.80 mg), iron (1.04 mg), and zinc (7.53 mg). The optimised complementary meal also had higher protein, ash, crude fibre and fat when compared to the commercially available baby food. Compared to ogi, utilization of this complementary meal for children could offer affordable food with adequate nutrients.