Endoh Kaori
Laboratory of Public Health Nutrition, Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Kyoritsu Women's University, 2-2-1 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, 101-8437, Tokyo, Japan.
BMC Nutr. 2022 Nov 1;8(1):126. doi: 10.1186/s40795-022-00615-7.
Not following the infant formula package instruction endangers infant health. Although infant formula misuse has been reported abroad, its incidence in Japan remains unknown. Furthermore, it is reasonable to assume that experience in childcare reduces the likelihood of making mistakes in using infant formula. This study aimed to examine the association between compliance with infant formula package instruction and childcare experience in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures in Japan.
Using a web-based questionnaire, mothers with infants were analyzed cross-sectionally and surveyed regarding their infants' nutrition and formula preparation methods in August 2021. Compliance with the infant formula package was determined according to (a) using unlabeled infant formula, (b) preparing infant formula without reading package instructions, (c) giving formula to children ≥ 2 h after preparing, and (d) adding other ingredients to the formula bottle. The association between the misuse of infant formula and childcare experience was examined by grouping the participants by infant age (< 6 months and ≥ 6 months), and by comparing first-born child status with later-born. Of the 333 mothers with infants, 3 were excluded due to out-of-scope responses, and 330 were included in the analysis.
The major sources of information on infant feeding methods among the participants were obstetric facilities (92.1%), internet (36.1%), and family (20.9%). The proportions of participants using infant formulas not labeled as "infant formula," such as follow-up milk, not preparing at prescribed concentrations, feeding infant formulas > 2 h after preparation, and adding additional ingredients to the bottle were 7.9%, 4.1%, 23.1%, and 15.9%, respectively, which suggest the misuse of infant formula. These four answers did not differ significantly between mothers of children aged < 6 months and ≥ 6 months or between those with first-born and later-born children.
This study suggested that some Japanese mothers do not follow package instructions of infant formula in Japan. The misuse of infant formula may not be related to the length of time spent in childcare or the presence or absence of childcare experience. Providing appropriate information on the correct use of infant formula to all caregivers, regardless of their parenting experience, is required.
不遵循婴儿配方奶粉包装说明会危及婴儿健康。尽管国外已报道过婴儿配方奶粉的误用情况，但其在日本的发生率仍不明确。此外，有理由认为育儿经验会降低在使用婴儿配方奶粉时犯错的可能性。本研究旨在调查日本东京及周边各县在遵循婴儿配方奶粉包装说明与育儿经验之间的关联。
2021年8月，通过基于网络的问卷对有婴儿的母亲进行横断面分析，并就其婴儿的营养状况和配方奶粉制备方法进行调查。根据以下情况确定是否遵循婴儿配方奶粉包装说明：(a) 使用未标明“婴儿配方奶粉”的奶粉，如后续配方奶粉；(b) 不阅读包装说明制备婴儿配方奶粉；(c) 在制备后2小时以上给儿童喂食配方奶粉；(d) 在奶瓶中添加其他成分。通过按婴儿年龄（<6个月和≥6个月）对参与者进行分组，并比较头胎与非头胎情况，研究婴儿配方奶粉误用与育儿经验之间的关联。在333名有婴儿的母亲中，3人因回答超出范围被排除，330人纳入分析。
参与者中婴儿喂养方法的主要信息来源是产科机构（92.1%）、互联网（36.1%）和家庭（20.9%）。使用未标明“婴儿配方奶粉”的奶粉（如后续配方奶粉）、未按规定浓度制备、在制备后2小时以上喂食婴儿配方奶粉以及在奶瓶中添加其他成分的参与者比例分别为7.9%、4.1%、23.1%和15.9%，这表明存在婴儿配方奶粉的误用情况。这四种情况在6个月以下和6个月及以上儿童的母亲之间，或头胎和非头胎母亲之间没有显著差异。
本研究表明，一些日本母亲在日本不遵循婴儿配方奶粉的包装说明。婴儿配方奶粉的误用可能与育儿时间长短或是否有育儿经验无关。需要向所有照顾者提供关于正确使用婴儿配方奶粉的适当信息，无论其育儿经验如何。
