The Role of Young Child Formula in Ensuring a Balanced Diet in Young Children (1-3 Years Old)

• Published in: Nutrients 2019-09, Vol.11 (9), p.2213
• Main Authors: Chouraqui, Jean-Pierre, Turck, Dominique, Tavoularis, Gabriel, Ferry, Constance, Dupont, Christophe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Clinical trials; cow’s milk; Cross-Sectional Studies; DHA and ARA intake; Diet; diet quality; Diet, Healthy; early childhood; Energy Intake; Food, Formulated; France; Gastroenterology; Health care; Humans; Infant; Iron; iron intake; Life Sciences; Milk; nutrient intake; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition research; nutritional adequacy; Nutritional Requirements; Nutritive Value; protein intake; sodium intake; Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Vitamin deficiency; young child; young child formula
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu11092213

During the nutritional vulnerable period of 1-3 years of age, nutrient intake is often inadequate due to an unbalanced diet. Young child formula (YCF) has been proposed as a means of improving nutrition in this age group. We compared the food consumption and nutrient intake of 241 YCF consumers (YCF-C) to those of 206 non-consumers (YCF-NC), selected from among the children enrolled in the Nutri-Bébé survey, an observational cross-sectional survey, conducted from 3 January to 21 April 2013. Food consumption and nutrient intake were analyzed from a three-day dietary record. The YCF-C < 2 years group had a protein (-8 g/d; < 0.0001) and sodium (-18%; = 0.0003) intake that was lower than that of YCF-NC, but still above the respective EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) Average Requirement (AR) or Adequate Intake (AI). At all ages, the YCF-C group had higher intakes of essential fatty acids ( < 0.0001), vitamins C ( < 0.0001), A, D, and E ( < 0.0001), all B vitamins ( < 0.001) except B12, iron (9 vs. 5 mg/d, < 0.0001), reaching the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs, AR or AI), but similar DHA and ARA intakes. Getting closer to the reference values proposed by EFSA required at least 360 mL/d of YCF. The consumption of YCF may help infants and children at risk of nutrient deficiencies to meet their nutritional requirements. However, protein, sodium, and vitamin A intakes remained above the EFSA DRVs, and DHA, ARA, and vitamin D remained below.