Effect of using commercial pre-packaged baby foods on the Fe intake of 7-8 months old infants.

Objectives To examine the potential effect on iron intake of 7-8 month-old infants if pre-packaged baby foods (PBFs) were used as the sole source of complementary foods. Design Based on the 7-day recommended feeding plan for 7-8-month-old infants in Hong Kong (moderate iron-fortified rice cereal with home-cooked meals), 24 modelling scenarios were created which comprised of two milk use modes (breastmilk vs. infant formula); three modes of rice cereal use (no rice cereal; non-iron-fortified rice cereal; iron-fortified rice cereal); and four baby foods usage modes (home-cooked meals; low-iron PBFs only; high-iron PBFs only; mixed PBFs). The PBFs were randomly selected in each of the models and substituted the original meals/snacks. The average daily iron intakes of the modelled meal plans were compared against the Chinese estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for iron. Setting Modelling study. Participants N/A. Results In general, the infant-formula-based complementary feeding pattern (CFP) had higher average daily iron intake when compared with breastmilk-based CFP. The iron intake of all scenarios under the breastmilk-based CFP were below the RNI and EAR, except for the fortified rice cereal meal plans with high-iron or mixed PBFs. For infant-formula-based CFP, the iron intakes were close to or above the RNI regardless of types of PBF or rice cereal used. Conclusions The inclusion of fortified rice cereal was important in maintaining adequate iron intake for infants, especially for breastfed infants. The replacement of home-cooked meals by low-iron PBFs could potentially put infants at risk of iron deficiency.