Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
Biostatistics Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
Nutrients. 2024 Sep 19;16(18):3165. doi: 10.3390/nu16183165.
Most wet commercial infant foods are now sold in squeezable 'pouches'. While multiple expert groups have expressed concern about their use, it is not known how commonly they are consumed and whether they impact energy intake or body mass index (BMI). The objectives were to describe pouch use, and determine associations with energy intake and BMI, in infants and young children.
In this observational cross-sectional study of 933 young New Zealand children (6.0 months-3.9 years), pouch use was assessed by a questionnaire ('frequent' use was consuming food from a baby food pouch ≥5 times/week in the past month), usual energy intake using two 24-h recalls, and BMI z-score calculated using World Health Organization standards.
The sample broadly represented the wider population (27.1% high socioeconomic deprivation, 22.5% Māori). Frequent pouch use declined with age (infants 27%, toddlers 16%, preschoolers 8%). Few children were both frequent pouch users and regularly used the nozzle (infants 5%, toddlers 13%, preschoolers 8%). Preschoolers who were frequent pouch users consumed significantly less energy than non-users (-580 kJ [-1094, -67]), but infants (115 [-35, 265]) and toddlers (-206 [-789, 378]) did not appear to have a different energy intake than non-users. There were no statistically significant differences in the BMI z-score by pouch use.
These results do not support the strong concerns expressed about their use, particularly given the lack of evidence for higher energy intake or BMI.
目前，大多数湿性商业婴儿食品都以可挤压的“ pouch ”形式出售。尽管多个专家小组对其使用表示担忧，但目前尚不清楚它们的使用频率，以及它们是否会影响能量摄入或体重指数（BMI ）。本研究旨在描述 pouch 的使用情况，并确定其与能量摄入和 BMI 的关联。
本研究为一项 933 名新西兰幼儿（6.0 月龄-3.9 岁）的观察性横断面研究，通过问卷评估 pouch 使用情况（“频繁”使用是指在过去一个月内，每周至少 5 次从婴儿食品 pouch 中进食），采用两次 24 小时回顾法评估日常能量摄入，并用世界卫生组织标准计算 BMI z 评分。
该样本基本代表了更广泛的人群（27.1%社会经济地位较高，22.5%为毛利人）。随着年龄的增长，频繁使用 pouch 的情况逐渐减少（婴儿 27%，幼儿 16%，学龄前儿童 8%）。很少有儿童既是频繁的 pouch 用户，又是经常使用奶嘴的（婴儿 5%，幼儿 13%，学龄前儿童 8%）。频繁使用 pouch 的学龄前儿童的能量摄入明显低于非使用者（-580 kJ [-1094, -67]），但婴儿（115 [-35, 265]）和幼儿（-206 [-789, 378]）的能量摄入似乎与非使用者没有差异。 pouch 使用与 BMI z 评分之间没有统计学上的显著差异。
这些结果不支持对其使用的强烈担忧，特别是鉴于没有证据表明 pouches 会导致更高的能量摄入或 BMI 。
