Changes in maternity care policies and practices that support breastfeeding as measured by the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding - United States, 2018-2022.

Background: Experiences during the birth hospitalization affect a family's ability to establish and maintain breastfeeding. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps) describe evidence-based hospital policies and practices shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes. We aim to describe hospitals' implementation of the Ten Steps, changes over time, and hospitals' implementation of a majority (≥ 6) of the Ten Steps by hospital characteristics and state.

Factors Associated with Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Young Children - United States, 2021.

Introduction: Because limited data exist about factors related to sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among younger children, we investigated factors associated with SSB intake among US children aged 1 to 5 years.

Methods: We examined SSB intake (0, 1-3, or ≥4 times/week) by using data from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health. We performed a multinomial logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for select sociodemographic and household factors associated with moderate (1-3 times/week) and high (≥4 times/week) SSB intake.

Factors Associated with Daily Fruit and Vegetable Intakes among Children Aged 1-5 Years in the United States.

To describe child, caregiver, and household characteristics associated with fruit and vegetable intakes among US children aged 1-5 years, we examined fruit and vegetable intakes (less than daily vs. daily) using data from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health among children aged 1-5 years. Multiple logistic regression provided adjusted odds ratios for factors associated with (1) daily fruit and (2) daily vegetable intakes.

Time Playing Outdoors Among Children Aged 3-5 Years: National Survey of Children's Health, 2021.

Introduction: Federal guidelines recommend physical activity throughout the day for preschool-aged children. Time playing outdoors can support physical activity participation, health, and development. Estimates of time playing outdoors among U.

Disaggregation of Breastfeeding Initiation Rates by Race and Ethnicity - United States, 2020-2021.

Introduction: Although breastfeeding is the ideal source of nutrition for most infants, racial and ethnic disparities exist in its initiation. Surveillance rates based on aggregated data can challenge the understanding and monitoring of effective, culturally appropriate interventions among racial and ethnic subgroups. Aggregated data have historically estimated breastfeeding rates among a few large racial and ethnic groups.

Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods - United States, 2016-2018.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends introducing complementary foods (i.e., any solid or liquid other than breast milk or infant formula) to infants at approximately age 6 months (1).

Early introduction of complementary foods/drinks and milk feeding type in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Infants younger than 4 months are not ready for complementary foods/drinks (any solid or liquid other than breast milk or infant formula). Almost half of US infants participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides nutrition education and support to low-income families. We describe the prevalence of early introduction (<4 months) of complementary foods/drinks and examine the association of milk feeding type (fully breastfed, partially breastfed or fully formula fed) with early introduction of complementary foods/drinks.

Meeting the Healthy People 2030 Added Sugars Target.

Introduction: Many Americans exceed the dietary recommendations for added sugars. Healthy People 2030 set a population target mean of 11.5% calories from added sugars for persons aged ≥2 years.

Fruit, Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Young Children, by State - United States, 2021.

Good nutrition in early childhood supports optimal growth, development, and health (1). Federal guidelines support a dietary pattern with daily fruit and vegetable consumption and limited added sugars, including limited consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (1). Government-published dietary intake estimates for young children are outdated at the national level and unavailable at the state level.

Children and Adolescents in the United States with Usual High Added Sugars Intake: Characteristics, Eating Occasions, and Top Sources, 2015-2018.

Background: High consumption of added sugars is related to adverse health consequences. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of US youth who report high intakes of added sugars, as well as the eating occasions and top sources of added sugars that contributed to intakes among consumers with high added sugars intake. Design and participants/setting: We conducted a cross-sectional study using 2015−2018 NHANES data among 5280 US youths (2−19 years).

High Added Sugars Intake among US Adults: Characteristics, Eating Occasions, and Top Sources, 2015-2018.

The 2020−2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends less than 10% of total daily calories come from added sugars. However, many adults overconsume added sugars putting them at risk for poor health outcomes. We examined characteristics of high added sugars consumers among US adults (≥20 years) and described their top 10 sources of added sugars intake using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015−2018 data (n = 9647).

Human milk expression in the first year postpartum among persons with low incomes.

Background: Expressing milk (i.e., human milk) is common in the USA, but practices are unknown among families in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Patterns in Mothers' Recollection of Health Care Providers' Young Child Feeding Recommendations.

Objective: Characterize feeding guidance mothers recall receiving from their child's health care provider (HCP).

Design: Cross-sectional study of mothers participating in the 2017-2019 National Survey of Family Growth.

Participants: US mothers reporting (n = 1,302) information about their youngest child (aged 6 months to 5 years).

Iron Deficiency in the United States: Limitations in Guidelines, Data, and Monitoring of Disparities.

Iron deficiency and the more severe sequela, iron deficiency anemia, are public health problems associated with morbidity and mortality, particularly among pregnant women and younger children. The 1998 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for prevention and control of iron deficiency in the United States is old and does not reflect recent evidence but is a foundational reference for many federal, clinical, and program guidelines. Surveillance data for iron deficiency are sparse at all levels, with critical gaps for pregnant women and younger children.

Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days in the United States: A Federal Perspective.

The first 1000 days begins with pregnancy and ends at the child's second birthday. Nutrition throughout the life course, and especially during the first 1000 days, supports maternal health and optimal growth and development for children. We give a high-level summary of the state of nutrition in the first 1000 days in the United States.

Anemia Among Pregnant Women Participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - United States, 2008-2018.

Among pregnant women, anemia, a condition of low hemoglobin concentration, can increase risk for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, including premature delivery, and other adverse outcomes (1). Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia, and during pregnancy, iron requirements increase (2). Surveillance of anemia during pregnancy in the United States is limited.

Maternity Care Practices and Breastfeeding Intentions at One Month Among Low-Income Women.

Background: Maternity care practices have been linked with higher chances of meeting breastfeeding intentions, but this relationship has not been examined using national data on US low-income women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Methods: Using data from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 on 1080 women who intended to breastfeed, we estimated risk ratios for associations between (1) each of 6 maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding (breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, showing mothers how to breastfeed, giving only breast milk, rooming-in, breastfeeding on demand, no pacifiers), (2) each practice adjusted for all other practices, and (3) total number of practices experienced with whether women met their intention to feed only breast milk at 1 month old. Models were adjusted for demographics.

Food Preparation Practices for Infants Aged From 7 to 13 Months.

Objective: To examine infant food preparation practices at age 7, 9, 11, and 13 months overall and by sociodemographic characteristics.

Design: Data from a longitudinal study from the US Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (ITFPS-2) were used.

Participants: A sample of 1,904 infants (970 males and 934 females) enrolled in WIC who had been introduced to solid foods and were consuming food prepared at home.

Returning to Work and Breastfeeding Duration at 12 Months, WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2.

Returning to work can impact breastfeeding duration; limited data exist on how this may impact a lower income population. Data from U.S.