FEEDING PRACTICES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE: CHALLENGES TO FOOD AND NUTRITION POLICIES.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feeding practices for infants under one year of age, according to food and nutrition policies. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the Chamada Neonatal project (research on prenatal, childbirth, and infant care) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The sample analyzed comprised 837 mother/child (under one year of age) pairs. We found a prevalence of data on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the first hour of life - partial and total -, as well as on food consumed by children 24 hours prior to the interview. We estimated the probability of consumption according to the child's age in days using the probit analysis. RESULTS: Among the interviewed mothers, 64.8% (95%CI 62.4-70.8) declared breastfeeding in the first hour of life, and 60% (95%CI 56.41-63.07) of the children were still breastfed at the end of their first year of life. The median duration of EBF was 63 days (95%CI 60-67). Water or tea, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables were introduced early, with medians lower than 180 days. The probit analysis revealed that the consumption of breast milk tended to decrease and food intake to increase as the child gets older, with exponential growth in the "unhealthy food" group. CONCLUSIONS: Although most children were breastfed up to one year of life, few did so exclusively. Foods were introduced early, with increased consumption of unhealthy ones, resulting in inadequate dietary quality according to recommendations from food and nutrition public policies.

Feeding practices in the first year of life: challenges to food and nutrition policies / Práticas alimentares no primeiro ano de vida: desafios para as políticas de alimentação e nutrição

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the feeding practices for infants under one year of age, according to food and nutrition policies. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the Chamada Neonatal project (research on prenatal, childbirth, and infant care) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The sample analyzed comprised 837 mother/child (under one year of age) pairs. We found a prevalence of data on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the first hour of life - partial and total -, as well as on food consumed by children 24 hours prior to the interview. We estimated the probability of consumption according to the child's age in days using the probit analysis. Results: Among the interviewed mothers, 64.8% (95%CI 62.4-70.8) declared breastfeeding in the first hour of life, and 60% (95%CI 56.41-63.07) of the children were still breastfed at the end of their first year of life. The median duration of EBF was 63 days (95%CI 60-67). Water or tea, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables were introduced early, with medians lower than 180 days. The probit analysis revealed that the consumption of breast milk tended to decrease and food intake to increase as the child gets older, with exponential growth in the "unhealthy food" group. Conclusions: Although most children were breastfed up to one year of life, few did so exclusively. Foods were introduced early, with increased consumption of unhealthy ones, resulting in inadequate dietary quality according to recommendations from food and nutrition public policies.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar as práticas alimentares em menores de um ano de idade, de acordo com as políticas de alimentação e nutrição. Métodos: Estudo transversal descritivo, com dados secundários da Chamada Neonatal no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. A amostra analisada foi de 837 pares mãe/filho menor de um ano de idade, e observou-se a prevalência de dados do Aleitamento Materno Exclusivo (AME), na primeira hora de vida, parcial e total, assim como dos alimentos ingeridos pelas crianças nas últimas 24 horas anteriores à entrevista. Por meio da análise de probitos, estimaram-se as probabilidades de consumo dos alimentos por idade da criança, em dias. Resultados: A prática de aleitamento na primeira hora de vida foi relatada por 64,8% (IC95% 62,4-70,8) das mães entrevistadas e, ao final do primeiro ano de vida, 60% (IC95% 56,41-63,07) das crianças ainda estavam sendo amamentadas. A mediana de aleitamento exclusivo foi de 63 dias (IC95% 60-67). Água ou chá, alimentos lácteos, frutas, legumes e verduras foram introduzidos precocemente, com medianas menores que 180 dias. Observou-se por análise de probitos que o consumo de leite materno tendeu a diminuir e o de alimentos a aumentar, de acordo com a idade da criança, com aumento exponencial do grupo "alimentos não saudáveis". Conclusões: Apesar de a maioria das crianças ser amamentada até um ano de vida, poucas estavam em aleitamento exclusivo. Alimentos foram introduzidos precocemente, com aumento do consumo dos não saudáveis, resultando em inadequação da qualidade alimentar frente ao preconizado pelas políticas públicas de alimentação e nutrição.