Results evaluation of the implementation of the “Program for Optimizing Feeding of Children in the First Year of Life in the Russian Federation” dated 2009

Background. Appropriate prescribing of complementary food allows to optimize the intake of macro- and micronutrients, provides adequate indicators of growth and development of the child, reduces the risk of non-infectious pathology. Taking into account the significance of this problem, World Health Organization (WHO) experts, together with The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, carried out a research where they studied issues related to the appointment of complementary food for children in the European Region and their compliance with existing recommendations.

Aim. To study the features of the introduction of complementary food in the Russian Federation on the basis of an assessment of the implementation of the recommendations of the "National program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation", 2009 and to conduct a comparative analysis of the results obtained and the data presented in the study carried out by WHO experts.

Materials and methods. A multicenter retrospective, uncontrolled, non-randomized study was conducted in 7 cities of the Russian Federation.

Results. The median age at which complementary foods were introduced was 5 [4–6] months; vegetables (51.0%) and cereals (31.2%) were the first complementary food products; children began to receive fruit mainly (77.3%) in the second half of life; the age of introduction of meat puree was 7 [6–8] months, while every 4th child by 9 months did not receive meat; juices were introduced at 7 [6–9] months, but in 8.8% of children juices became the first product of complementary foods; median age for yolk administration was 8 [7–10] months, fish – 9 [8–10] months. Only 14.0% of mothers used products of exclusively industrial production in the nutrition of their children, 33.9% prepared it themselves. Correlation analysis did not revealed any relationship between the body weight of a child at the age of 12 months and the time of introduction of the first complementary food product, as well as with the age of introduction of each of the introduced products. A connection was established between the body weight of a child at the age of 12 months and the volume of individual products that children receive between the age of 6 and 12 months. The recommendations of the “National program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation” were generally implemented. Our analyses revealed the most frequent violations during the introduction and use of complementary food products: late start of their introduction (after the age of 6 months) in 41.3% of children, delayed prescription of meat, frequent use of home-made cereals not enriched with micronutrients, dilution of dairy-free porridge with water, irregular inclusion in the diet of egg yolk.

Conclusion. The results obtained confirm the importance of implementation of the “Program for Optimizing Feeding of Children in the First Year of Life in the Russian Federation” updated in 2019 and approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia and indicate the need for further work on its improvement.