Ortenzi Flaminia, Beal Ty
Consultant, Geneva, Switzerland.
Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Front Nutr. 2021 Dec 21;8:785227. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.785227. eCollection 2021.
Given their high nutrient requirements and limited gastric capacity, young children during the complementary feeding period (6-23 months) should be fed nutrient-dense foods. However, complementary feeding diets in low- and middle-income countries are often inadequate in one or more essential micronutrients. In South and Southeast Asia infants' and young children's diets are commonly lacking in iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B, and calcium, hereafter referred to as priority micronutrients. This study aimed to identify the top food sources of priority micronutrients among minimally processed foods for complementary feeding of children (6-23 months) in South and Southeast Asia. An aggregated regional food composition database for South and Southeast Asia was built, and recommended nutrient intakes (RNIs) from complementary foods were calculated for children aged 6-23 months. An approach was developed to classify foods into one of four levels of priority micronutrient density based on the calories and grams required to provide one-third (for individual micronutrients) or an average of one-third (for the aggregate score) of RNIs from complementary foods. We found that the top food sources of multiple priority micronutrients are organs, bivalves, crustaceans, fresh fish, goat, canned fish with bones, and eggs, closely followed by beef, lamb/mutton, dark green leafy vegetables, cow milk, yogurt, and cheese, and to a lesser extent, canned fish without bones. This analysis provided insights into which foods to prioritize to fill common micronutrient gaps and reduce undernutrition in children aged 6-23 months in South and Southeast Asia.
鉴于幼儿在辅食喂养期（6 - 23个月）营养需求高且胃容量有限，应喂食营养丰富的食物。然而，低收入和中等收入国家的辅食喂养饮食往往缺乏一种或多种必需的微量营养素。在南亚和东南亚，婴幼儿的饮食通常缺乏铁、锌、维生素A、叶酸、维生素B和钙，以下统称为优先微量营养素。本研究旨在确定南亚和东南亚6 - 23个月儿童辅食喂养的最低加工食品中优先微量营养素的主要食物来源。建立了一个南亚和东南亚区域食物成分汇总数据库，并计算了6 - 23个月儿童从辅食中获得的推荐营养素摄入量（RNIs）。开发了一种方法，根据提供辅食中三分之一的推荐营养素摄入量（针对单一微量营养素）或三分之一的平均摄入量（针对综合得分）所需的卡路里和克数，将食物分为优先微量营养素密度的四个级别之一。我们发现，多种优先微量营养素的主要食物来源是动物内脏、双壳贝类、甲壳类动物、鲜鱼、山羊、带骨罐头鱼和鸡蛋，其次是牛肉、羊肉、深绿叶蔬菜、牛奶、酸奶和奶酪，程度较轻的还有无骨罐头鱼。该分析为南亚和东南亚6 - 23个月儿童应优先选择哪些食物来填补常见的微量营养素缺口和减少营养不良提供了见解。
