Abstract  OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of breastfeeding and formula feeding, the age of introduction to specific foods, and the types of foods and beverages consumed by Hispanic infants and toddlers compared with similarly aged non-Hispanic infants and toddlers living in the United States.

DESIGN: Descriptive and comparative analysis of dietary recall data and responses to specific interview questions, which were collected in the 2002 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study. Breastfeeding status, timing of introduction of complementary foods, percentage consuming foods from specific food groups, and the most frequently consumed fruits and vegetables by Hispanic and non-Hispanic children by age group (4-5 months, 6-11 months, 12-24 months).

SUBJECTS: A national random sample of 371 Hispanic and 2,637 non-Hispanic infants and toddlers between the ages of 4 and 24 months.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: To test for differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children in the percentage who consumed a particular food item, we calculated percentages and standard errors in SUDAAN and 95% and 99% confidence intervals. The most frequently consumed fruits and vegetables were determined by tallying the percentage of infants and toddlers who consumed each specific fruit or vegetable on a given day.

RESULTS: Although there were some similarities, the early flavor and food experiences of Hispanic infants were different from similarly aged non-Hispanic infants in several ways. Hispanic infants younger than 1 year of age were more likely to have ever been breastfed and those who were 4 to 5 months were more likely than non-Hispanics to be eating pureed baby foods on a daily basis. Although less likely to be eating non-infant cereals and baby food vegetables, 6- to 11-month-old Hispanics were more likely to be eating fresh fruits, fruit-flavored drinks, baby cookies, and foods such as soups, rice, and beans that are common in many Hispanic cultures. When fruits were introduced into the Hispanic child's diet, they were most commonly consumed fresh. This higher prevalence of being fed soups, rice, beans, and sweetened fruit-flavored drinks as well as tortillas was also observed among the 12- to 24-month-old toddlers.

CONCLUSIONS: Dietetics professionals should be aware of the cultural differences in the foods fed to infants and toddlers that may contribute to the development of long-term food preferences and impact on nutrition. Understanding the factors that underlie food preferences is important if we are to develop evidence-based strategies to improve children's eating habits and lower their risks factors associated with obesity and other chronic diseases.

Abstract  OBJECTIVE: Describe the study design, data collection methods, 24-hour dietary recall protocol, and sample characteristics of the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2008.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study designed to obtain information on the diets and feeding patterns of US infants, toddlers, and preschoolers ages birth to 47 months. Telephone interviews with parents and caregivers were conducted from June 2008 through January 2009 and included a household interview to recruit the household and collect information on household and child demographics and nutrition-related characteristics, and a dietary interview, including a 24-hour dietary recall collected using the 2008 Nutrition Data System for Research. A second dietary recall was collected on a random subsample to estimate usual nutrient intake distributions. Data collection instruments were built on those used in FITS 2002, with expanded survey content to address emerging issues in childhood nutrition and obesity. The dietary protocol was improved to increase reporting accuracy on portion sizes, and a bridging study was conducted to test effects of the changes in the food model booklet and protocol since FITS 2002 (n=240 cases aged 4 to 23 months).

SUBJECTS: A national random sample of 3,273 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from birth up to age 4 years, with 2 days of dietary intake data for 701 cases.

RESULTS: Among sampled households with an age-eligible child, the response rate was 60% for the recruitment interview. Of recruited households, the response rate for the dietary interview was 78%.

CONCLUSIONS: The FITS 2008 provides rigorous, well-tested methods and survey questions for nutrition researchers to use in other dietary studies of young children. FITS 2008 findings on the food and nutrient intakes of US children from birth up to age 4 years can inform dietetics practitioners, pediatric health practitioners, and policymakers about the dietary issues of young children.

Abstract  OBJECTIVES: To describe current infant-feeding practices and current food group consumption patterns of infants and toddlers and to compare 2008 data with 2002 data to identify shifts in these practices and food consumption over time.

DESIGN: The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2008 is a cross-sectional survey of a national random sample of US children from birth up to age 4 years. Data for three age subgroups (infants 4 to 5.9 months and 6 to 11.9 months and toddlers 12 to 23.9 months) were used from the 2002 (n=2,884) and 2008 surveys (n=1,596).

STATISTICAL METHODS: All analyses use sample weights that reflect the US population aged 4 to 24 months. Descriptive statistics (means, proportions, and standard errors) and t tests were calculated using SUDAAN (release 9, 2005, Research Triangle Park Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC).

RESULTS: These data show a higher percentage of infants receiving breast milk from 4 to 11.9 months of age with a concurrent decreasing percentage of infants receiving formula, which is significantly different from data for the 9- to 11.9-month-old age group. The use of complementary foods also appears to be delayed in FITS 2008: There is a significantly lower proportion of infants consuming infant cereal at 9 to 11.9 months in FITS 2008 compared to 2002 data. Fruit and vegetable consumption remains lower than desired. Significant reductions in the percentage of infants and toddlers consuming any desserts or candy, sweetened beverages, and salty snacks were seen in 2008.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings presented here provide important insights to the content of messages and types of interventions that are still needed to improve the diets of infants and toddlers.

Abstract  Principal component analysis (PCA) is a popular method of dietary patterns analysis, but our understanding of its use to describe changes in dietary patterns over time is limited. Using a FFQ, we assessed the diets of 12,572 nonpregnant women aged 20-34 y from Southampton, UK, of whom 2270 and 2649 became pregnant and provided complete dietary data in early and late pregnancy, respectively. Intakes of white bread, breakfast cereals, cakes and biscuits, processed meat, crisps, fruit and fruit juices, sweet spreads, confectionery, hot chocolate drinks, puddings, cream, milk, cheese, full-fat spread, cooking fats and salad oils, red meat, and soft drinks increased in pregnancy. Intakes of rice and pasta, liver and kidney, vegetables, nuts, diet cola, tea and coffee, boiled potatoes, and crackers decreased in pregnancy. PCA at each time point produced 2 consistent dietary patterns, labeled prudent and high-energy. At each time point in pregnancy, and for both the prudent and high-energy patterns, we derived 2 dietary pattern scores for each woman: a natural score, based on the pattern defined at that time point, and an applied score, based on the pattern defined before pregnancy. Applied scores are preferred to natural scores to characterize changes in dietary patterns over time because the scale of measurement remains constant. Using applied scores, there was a very small mean decrease in prudent diet score in pregnancy and a very small mean increase in high-energy diet score in late pregnancy, indicating little overall change in dietary patterns in pregnancy.