Food and nutrient intake of 6- to 12-month-old infants fed formula or cow milk: a summary of four national surveys.

Food and nutrient intakes of infants during the second 6 months of life were summarized with the use of four national surveys as the data base. Three of the surveys, the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1976-1980), the Ross Nutrition Survey (1984), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (1977-1978), summarized and compared the nutrient composition of the diets of infants fed formula with that of the diets of infants fed cow milk during the second 6 months of life. The Gerber Nutrition Survey (GNS) summarized the nutrient composition of the diets of infants fed formula, cow milk, or human milk, or a combination of these, during 1986. Iron-fortified formula with beikost provided adequate but not excessive intakes of all nutrients for infants during the second 6 months of life with the possible exception of calcium for older infants. In contrast to cow milk, formula provided readily absorbed and adequate iron, generous linoleic acid, and adequate but not excessive intakes of protein, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. The distribution of energy between protein, carbohydrate and fat, and potential renal solute load was reasonable in infants fed formula. Cow milk with beikost provided low intakes of readily bioavailable iron and linoleic acid and high intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and potential renal solute load during the second 6 months of life. The diets of infants fed low-fat milks were even lower in linoleic acid and higher in volume of food consumed, protein, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and potential renal solute load than the diets of infants fed whole cow milk. Apparently, infants fed cow milk were treated differently than those fed formula (i.e., they were given more solids and table foods and less baby food at all ages and less volume of milk at 9 and 12 months of age). These data provided the basis for the development of practical suggestions for feeding infants during the second 6 months of life.