Background: Infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) impact the early and later health status of the population. Limited data is available regarding IYCF in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and adequacy of feeding practices, energy, food, and nutrient intakes of UAE infants and toddlers ages 0-23.9 months. Methods: This study is a population-based cross-sectional survey of 276 infants and toddlers aged 0-23.9 months of which 180 were nationals and 96 were Arab non-nationals living in the UAE. Data were collected from the three major emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Anthropometry was collected and assessed using WHO Anthro-Survey Analyzer, and a multicomponent age-specific questionnaire was used to evaluate IYCF and sociodemographic characteristics. Usual intake of energy, micronutrients, and macronutrients, including supplements, were collected using multiple-pass 24-h dietary recall and analyzed using the PC-side software. IYCF practices were assessed using the WHO indicators. Results: Overall, 4% of children were malnourished, 8% wasted, 15% stunted, 18% at risk of overweight, and 7% overweight and obese. 95% of infants were ever breastfed and 37% exclusively breastfed at 6 months. Around 98% of infants had a timely introduction of complementary food. Macronutrient intake exceeded AMDR for fat, carbohydrates, and protein for 27%, 8% and 2% of toddlers respectively. As for the percentage of those exceeding the ESPGHAN cut-off for free sugars set at 5% of energy intake, 28.6% had excessive intakes overall, 10% in 0-5.9, 21.9% in 6-11.9 and 56.7% in 12-23.9 month. Usual iron intake was below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) in 47% of infants 6-11.9 months. Above 12 months, the usual intake of iron and vitamin D were below EAR in 11% and 49% of toddlers respectively. Usual intake exceeded the tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamin A (14 to 18%) and zinc (11 to 22%) across all ages. Approximately 93% of toddlers ages 12–23.9 months did not meet food groups’ recommendations for vegetables, 87% for fruits, 48% for milk/dairy, 54% for lean meat and beans, and 33% for grains. Conclusions: This study revealed that a high percentage of infants and toddlers aged 0-23.9 m suffer from a double burden of malnutrition, which is the coexistence of both undernutrition, and overweight and obesity in the same population. In addition to suboptimal feeding practices and inadequate/overconsumption of various nutrients. The findings highlight the need for the development of culturally specific programs aiming to improve the nutritional status of infants and toddlers in the UAE.

This study aims at investigating the anthropometric status and food consumption patterns of children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and assessing their adherence to nutrient and dietary recommendations. It is a population-based cross-sectional survey of 690 children (4–12.9 years), from 3 major Emirates. Socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics were collected. Dietary intakes were assessed using the 24-hour recall approach. Of the total sample, 4% were stunted, 8% were wasted and 28% were overweight/obese. A third of participating children consumed above the Estimated Energy Requirement, while the majority’s intakes carbohydrate, total fat, and protein were within the recommendations; whereas over 70% and 90% of participants consumed above the WHO daily limits of free sugars and saturated fats, respectively. Inadequate intakes of linoleic acid (36% of children), alpha-linolenic acid (91%) and dietary fiber (100%) were observed. All children failed to meet the recommendation for vitamin D and considerable proportions had inadequate intakes of vitamin A, calcium, zinc, folate, and magnesium. Compared with the American Heart Association/American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, low dietary adherence was noted for fruits (9%), vegetables (4%), and milk/dairy (14%). These findings may be used in the development of nutritional policies aimed at improving the diets of children in the UAE.

There are no published harmonized nutrient reference values for the complementary feeding period. The aim of the study was to develop proposals on adequate and safe intake ranges of micronutrients that can be applied to dietary guidance and menu planning. Dietary intake surveys from 6 populous countries were selected as pertinent to the study and reviewed for data on micronutrients. The most frequently underconsumed micronutrients were identified as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folate. Key published reference values for these micronutrients were identified, compared, and reconciled. WHO/FAO values were generally identified as initial nutrient targets and reconciled with nutrient reference values from the Institute of Medicine and the European Food Standards Authority. A final set of harmonized reference nutrient intake ranges for the complementary feeding period is proposed.

We estimated the usual intakes of fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, folate, vitamin D, and vitamin A and the top foods that contribute to them among children in the UAE. Dietary intake was assessed using 24 h recalls among 5 age groups of infants and children. Foods were clustered into 54 food groups and ranked by their percentage contribution to the nutrients of interest in this study. The percentage achieving the adequate intake (AI) of fiber was negligible among all children. The top source of fiber was vegetables among children under 4 years, and white breads among those over 4 years. Only 45% of infants achieved iron adequacy, but iron standards were met by most children beyond the age of 1. The main contributors to iron intake were infant/young child formula and baby cereal in children under 4 years, while children over 4 years obtained it primarily from grains (fortified) and meat/fish. Vitamin D was inadequate across all age groups, with the percentage achieving adequacy ranging from 0 to 19% among pre-adolescents and toddlers, respectively. The top sources of vitamin D were fortified milks. Overall, nutrient inadequacies in fiber, calcium, and vitamin D highlight the need for greater intakes of whole grains and fortified dairy products in the UAE.

Background/Objectives: Complementary feeding (CF) influences future health outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of fortified whole grain infant cereal (WGIC), a complementary food, among 6- to 12-month-old infants on the nutrient density of the diet in three diverse settings: Brazil, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US. Methods: Data from the Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS), a collection of dietary intake studies based on 24-h-dietary recalls, from said countries was utilized. Nutrient intakes were calculated for infant cereal (IC) consumers and non-consumers. Diet modeling was applied to IC consumers to substitute their regular fortified IC with WGIC with improved fortifications. The study estimated the average nutrient density, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and percentage inadequacy of the diet in both IC consumers and non-consumers. Results: The analyses indicated that infants who consumed IC had higher intakes of calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin D in the three countries. Reduced micronutrient inadequacies were observed among IC consumers, particularly in Brazil and the U.S. Diet modeling with WGIC revealed a significantly higher density of choline, magnesium, zinc, iron, fiber, and protein, as well as reduced inadequacies. The MAR was significantly improved in the three countries. Conclusions: This study underscores the potential of fortified WGIC in increasing the nutrient density of the complementary diet. The intrinsic nutrients in whole grain infant cereals (WGICs) significantly enhance the nutrient density of the complementary diet. Given that whole grains play a role in preventing childhood obesity, their inclusion during CF may be crucial.

Background and objectives: Diet quality is critical for child growth and development. We previously identified a high prevalence of micronutrient inadequacies in Nigerian children’s diets. The objective of this study was to identify socio-economic predictors (socio-economic status (SES), main caregivers’ education, and household income) of the mean adequacy ratio (MAR), a proxy for diet quality, in this population. Methods: Data from the Ibadan Kids Nutrition and Health Study (I-KNHS) in Nigeria was used to calculate the Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) for 17 micronutrients. The MAR was calculated as the average of NARs in children aged both 4–8 years (y) (n = 510) and 9–13 y old (n = 434). Logistic regression was applied to examine the odds of having an MAR higher than the age group median. Results: The median (interquartile range (IQR)) MAR among 4–8 y old children was higher than that of the older children aged 9–13 y (0.67 (0.23) vs. 0.56 (0.24), p < 0.0001), which corresponds to a median of 67% and 56% of micronutrient requirements being met by younger and older children, respectively. Children aged 4–8 y in the highest SES tertile had higher (2.06 (95% CI 1.3–3.25)) odds of having a high MAR compared to the lowest SES tertile. However, this trend was the opposite in 9–13 y old children, with those in the highest SES tertile having lower (0.54 (0.33–0.89)) odds of having a high MAR compared to those in the lowest SES tertile. Higher main caregiver’s education and household income were associated with higher MARs in 4–8 y old children, but not in older children. The 4–8 y old children in the highest tertile of household income and main caregiver’s education had a higher MAR compared to those in the lowest tertile, with an OR of 1.85 (1.17–2.93) and 2.57 (1.46–4.52), respectively. Discussion: SES, main caregivers’ education, and household income were predictors of diet quality. However, contrasting associations were observed between these socio-economic variables and the diet quality between age groups. The cause may be due to older children from the highest SES group having greater freedom to make independent food choices. These findings suggest that interventions to improve the diets of children in Nigeria should address those beyond the lower socio-economic groups.