Many toddlers are eating inappropriately low-fat diets, a new study of forty-five 12-18 month-old children reveals.
Current pediatric nutrition recommendations call for children, up to the age of 2, to get at least 30% of their calories from fat.
At 12 months of age, 22% of the children were consuming less than 30% of their calories from fat.
At 18 months of age, 33% of the children were consuming less than 30% of their calories from fat.
Intake of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D and calcium were found to be adequate.
The period between the 1st and 2nd year of life is an important transitional phase, as regular food starts replacing breast milk and/or formula. Low-fat diets are not recommended for very young children because fat supplies many nutrients essential for growth.
Pediatrics July 2000;106:109-114.
More documentation of the inappropriateness for all, but especially infants, of a low fat diet. Perhaps even more damaging would be the use of soy formulas. If you are not familiar with why soy formulas should rarely, if ever be used in infants click here.
Breast fed is best of course, but if that is not possible, for the first six months the protein in Carnation Good Start is hydroloyzed which decreases the side effects of the milk as most of the casein is broken down to base amino acids and cannot cause as many allergy type problems. After six months of age Carnation Follow Up is preferred. Formula should also be supplemented with essential omega-3 and 6 fatty acids (click here).
Someone recently informed me that Carnation Follow-Up (and possibly Good Start as well) does not have any taurine added to it however. This free-form amino acid is present in significant quantities in human milk and should be added as well. I am currently investigating as to the proper quantity, but as a start, it would be wise to split a 500 mg Taurine capsule into 7 parts and add one part a day to the formula so the total daily dose will be about 75 mg. Taurine is a "conditionally essential" amino acid. For more information CLICK HERE.
As soon as the child can eat foods they can be switched to vegetables and meats that are broken down in a food processor or blender. Grains should be avoided/limited in children for the same reason they should be avoided/limited in adults. Rice cereal should NOT be the first food after formula that is fed to the infant.
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