Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T04:30:23.790Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Dietary intakes of 6–24-month-old urban South Island New Zealand children in relation to biochemical iron status

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Patsy Soh
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Elaine L Ferguson*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Joanne E McKenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Preventative and Social Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Sheila Skeaff
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Winsome Parnell
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Rosalind S Gibson
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author: Email elaine.ferguson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

To investigate food sources and intakes of iron, and dietary factors associated with serum ferritin levels in 6–24-month-old children.

Design:

A cross-sectional survey employing proportionate cluster sampling was conducted in 1998/1999. Dietary intakes were assessed using a non-consecutive 3-day weighed food record. Serum ferritin and C-reactive protein were analysed from non-fasting venepuncture blood samples and general sociodemographic data were collected.

Setting:

Cities of Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill, New Zealand.

Subjects:

Randomly selected healthy 6–24-month-old non-breast-feeding children (n=226).

Results:

Total iron intakes (±standard deviation (SD)) among non-breast-feeding infants (<12 months old; n=42) and toddlers (≥12 months old; n=184) were 8.4±2.9 mg day−1 and 5.0±2.5 mg day−1, respectively. Fifteen per cent of infants and 66% of toddlers were at risk of inadequate iron intakes. Main sources of dietary iron were infant formula (60%) for infants and cereals (31%) for toddlers. Meat contributed on average 2% and 10% of dietary iron in the infant and toddler diets, respectively. Dietary factors positively associated with serum ferritin were intakes of iron and vitamin C, whereas intakes of calcium and dietary fibre were negatively associated. For each 1% increase in percentage of energy from iron-fortified formula concomitant with a 1% decrease from dairy products, there was a 4.2% increased odds of replete iron stores (ferritin ≥20 μg l−1).

Conclusions:

Toddlers were at higher risk of sub-optimal iron intakes than infants. Results suggest that a diet high in bioavailable iron is important for optimising the iron stores of young children in New Zealand.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2002

References

1Booth, IW, Aukett, M. Iron deficiency anaemia in infancy and early childhood. Arch. Dis. Child. 1997; 76: 549–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Skinner, JD, Carruth, BR, Houck, KS, Coletta, F, Cotter, R, Ott, D, McLeod, M. Longitudinal study of nutrient and food intakes of infants aged 2 to 24 months. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1997; 97: 496504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Gregory, JR, Collins, DJ, Davies, PSW. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Children aged 1.5–4.5 years. Vol. 1. London: HMSO, 1995.Google Scholar
4Hercberg, S, Papoz, L, Galan, P, Guery, MF, Farnier, MA, Rossignol, C. Iron status and dietary pattern in young children. Nutr. Rep. Intern. 1995; 35: 307–15.Google Scholar
5Michaelsen, KF, Milman, N, Samuelson, G. A longitudinal study of iron status in healthy Danish infants: effects of early iron status, growth velocity and dietary factors. Acta Paediatr. 1995; 84: 1035–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Perrson, , Johansson, E, Samuelson, G. Dietary intake of weaned infants in a Swedish community. Hum. Nutr. Appl. Nutr. 1984; 38: 247–54.Google Scholar
7Preziosi, P, Hercberg, S, Galan, P, Devanlay, M, Cherouvier, F, Dupin, H. Iron status of a healthy French population: factors determining biochemical markers. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 1994; 38: 192202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Wham, C. Dietary iron intake and iron status of young children. Asia Pacific J. Clin. Nutr. 1996; 5: 196200.Google ScholarPubMed
9Yeung, DL, Pennell, MD, Leung, M, Hall, J, Anderson, GH. Iron intake of infants: the importance of infant cereals. Cdn. Med. Assoc. J. 1981; 125: 9991002.Google ScholarPubMed
10Ferguson, E, Scanlon, W. Dietary assessment techniques for preschool children. NZDA.Proc. 2000; 5: 80–3.Google Scholar
11Marshall, R. Diet Entry and Storage, Diet Cruncher. A Batch Processing Diet Analysis System for the Macintosh. Dunedin: NutriComp, 1997.Google Scholar
12New Zealand Institute of Crop and Food Research. FOODfiles. Data Files of the New Zealand Food Composition Database, version 9.0. Palmerston North, New Zealand: New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research, 1998.Google Scholar
13Murphy, SP, Beaton, GH, Calloway, DH. Estimated mineral intakes of toddlers: predicted prevalence of inadequacy in village populations in Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1992; 56: 565–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Carriquiry, AL. Assessing the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy. Public Health Nutr. 1999; 2: 2333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Department of Health. Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. Report on Health and Social Subjects. London: HMSO, 1991.Google Scholar
16Nusser, SM, Carriquiry, AL, Dodd, KW, Fuller, WA. A semiparametric transformation approach to estimating usual daily intake distributions. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 1991; 91: 1440–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Singer, JI, Bachino, JJ, Chabali, R. Selected laboratory in pediatric emergency care. Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 1986; 4: 377–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Bathgate, M, Alexander, D, Mitikulena, A, Borman, B, Roberts, A, Grigg, M. The Health of Pacific Islands People. Wellington, New Zealand: Public Health Commission, 1994.Google Scholar
19Gibson, RS. Principles of Nutrition Assessment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.Google Scholar
20Mackerras, D. Energy adjustment: the concepts underlying the debate. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 1996; 49: 957–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Brault-Dubac, M, Nadeau, M, Dickie, J. Iron status of French-Canadian children: a three year follow-up study. Hum. Nutr. Appl. Nutr. 1983 37A: 210–21.Google Scholar
22Kylberg, E, Hofvander, Y, Sjölin, S. Diets of healthy Swedish children 4–24 months old. Acta Paediatr. 1986; 75: 937–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Kjaernes, U, Botten, G, Lande, B, Nilsson, D. Food intake and patterns of feeding of Norwegian infants. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1988; 42: 249–60.Google ScholarPubMed
24McDowell, MA, Briefel, RR, Alaimo, K, Bischof, AM, Caughman, CR, Carroll, MD, Loria, CM, Johnson, CL. Energy and macronutrient intakes of persons ages two months and over in the United States: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Phase 1, 1988–91. Vital Health Statistics of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. National Centre for Health Statistics. 1994; 255: 424.Google Scholar
25Piccciano, MF, Smiciklas-Wright, H, Birch, LL, Mitchell, DC, Murray-Kolb, L, McConahy, KL. Nutritional guidance is needed during the dietary transition in early childhood. Pediatrics 2000; 106: 109–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Fairweather-Tait, S, Fox, T, Wharf, G, Eagles, J. The bioavailability of iron in different weaning foods and the enhancing effect of a fruit drink containing ascorbic acid. Pediatr. Res. 1995; 37: 389–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Hallberg, L, Rossander-Hultén, L, Brune, M, Gleerup, A. Calcium and iron absorption: mechanism of action and nutritional importance. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1992; 46: 317–27.Google ScholarPubMed
28Hallberg, L. Iron absorption and iron deficiency. Hum. Nutr. Clin. Nutr. 1982; 36: 259–78.Google ScholarPubMed
29Mira, M, Alperstein, G, Karr, M, Rammuthugala, G, Causer, J, Niec, A, Lilburne, A-M. Haem iron intake in 12–36 month old children depleted in iron: case–control study. BMJ 1996; 312: 881–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Karr, M, Alperstein, G, Causer, J, Mira, M, Lammi, A, Fett, MJ. Iron status and anaemia in preschool children in Sydney. Aus. N.Z. J. Public Health 1996; 20: 618–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Engelmann, MD, Sandström, B, Michaelsen, KF. Meat intake and iron status in late infancy: an intervention study. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 1998; 26: 2633.Google ScholarPubMed
32Engelmann, MD, Davidsson, L, Sandström, B, Walczyk, T, Hurrell, RF, Michaelsen, KF. The influence of meat on nonheme iron absorption in infants. Pediatr. Res. 1998; 43: 768–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Greene-Finestone, L, Feldman, W, Luke, B. Prevalence and risk factors of iron depletion and iron deficiency anemia among infants in Ottawa-Carleton. J. Cdn. Diet. Assoc. 1991; 52: 20–3.Google Scholar
34Meeting the iron needs of infants and young children: an update. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 1991; 144: 1451–4.Google Scholar
35Male, C, Persson, , Freeman, V, Guerra, A, van't Hot, MA, Haschke, Fand the Euro-Growth Iron Study Group. Prevalence of iron deficiency in 12-mo-old infants from 11 European areas and influence of dietary factors on iron status (Euro-Growth study). Acta Paediatr. 2001; 88: 1333–7.Google Scholar
36Freeman, VE, Mulder, J, van't Hof, MA, Hoey, HMV, Gibney, MJ. A longitudinal study of the iron status in children at 12, 24 and 36 months. Public Health Nutr. 1998; 1: 93100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37Daly, A, MacDonald, A, Aukett, A, Williams, J, Wolf, A, Davidson, J, Booth, IW. Prevention of anaemia in inner city toddlers by an iron supplemented cows' milk formula. Arch. Dis. Child. 1996; 75: 916.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38Fuchs, GJ, Farris, RP, DeWier, M, Hutchinson, SW, Warrier, R, Doucet, H, Suskind, RM. Iron status and intake of older infants fed formula vs cow milk with cereal. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1993; 58: 343–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Gill, DG, Vincent, S, Segal, DS. Follow-on formula in the prevention of iron deficiency: a multicentre study. Acta Paediatr. 1997; 86: 683–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
40Morley, R, Abbott, R, Fairweather-Tait, S, MacFadyen, U, Stephenson, T, Lucas, A. Iron fortified follow on formula from 9 to 18 months improves iron status but not development or growth: a randomised trial. Arch. Dis. Child. 1999; 81: 247–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41Singhal, A, Morely, R, Abbott, R, Fairweather-Tait, S, Stephenson, T, Lucas, A. Clinical safety of iron-fortified formulas. Pediatrics 2000; 105: 16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. Iron fortification of infant formulas. Pediatrics 1999; 104: 119–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
43Lonnerdal, B, Hernell, O. Iron, zinc, copper and selenium status of breast-fed infants and infants fed trace element fortified milk-based infant formula. Acta Paediatr. 1994; 83: 367–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
44Lund, EK, Wharf, SG, Fairweather-Tait, S, Johnson, IT. Oral ferrous sulfate supplements increase the free radical-generating capacity of feces from healthy volunteers. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999; 69: 250–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
45Statistics New Zealand. Census 96 with Supermap3 and for GIS and Mapping (Computer). Wellington, New Zealand/ Melbourne, Victoria: Statistics New Zealand, Space-Time Research, 1997.Google Scholar