Virtual Conference
Levchuk Larisa Vasilievna

Levchuk Larisa Vasilievna

Ural State Medical University, Russia

Title: Problems of the direction of complementary foods and assessment of the physical development of children in the first year of life

Abstract

Relevance: Rational feeding with the timely introduction of complementary foods ensures the optimal pace of physical and psychomotor development, is the most effective way to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases and program health throughout a person's life.

Purpose — to analyze the timeliness of prescribing complementary foods to children of the first year of life in relation to physical development.

Methods: An online questionnaire was developed using the Google Forms service, and the answers of mothers of 108 children aged 5 months to 3 years were analyzed. Physical development was assessed using the WHO Anthro program.

Results: The timing of the introduction of the first complementary foods corresponded to the Program for Optimizing the Feeding of Children in the First Year of Life in the Russian Federation (2019) in 89.8% (n = 97), after 6 months complementary foods were introduced in 6.5% (n = 7), up to 4 months - 3, 7% (n = 4). The first complementary food was more often vegetable puree (65.7%; n = 71), less often - porridge (18.5%; n = 20) or fruit puree (13.9%; n = 15). Meat puree was included in the diet after 8 months 57.4% (n = 62). The average value of the z-score index of body mass index for age in children with late introduction of complementary foods was -1.1 ± 0.58, which turned out to be significantly lower than with timely introduction: 0.08 ± 0.11; p ? 0.05.

Conclusion: Late appointment of complementary foods, especially foods with a high biological value, led to a violation of the nutritional status in the form of underweight in children, both natural and formula-fed. 

Biography

Levchuk Larisa Vasilievna is a pediatrician of the highest qualification category, associate professor of the department of faculty pediatrics and propaedeutics of childhood diseases, candidate of medical sciences.