Publications by authors named "Ioanna Katiforis"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of squeezable food pouches among infants and young children, and their potential effects on energy intake and body mass index (BMI).
  • Researchers surveyed 933 children in New Zealand, and found that while pouch usage decreased as children grew older, the effect on their energy intake varied by age.
  • Notably, preschool children who frequently used pouches consumed less energy compared to non-users, while no significant differences in BMI were observed related to pouch use, suggesting concerns about pouches may be overstated.
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Optimal nutrition during infancy is critical given its influence on lifelong health and wellbeing. Two novel methods of infant complementary feeding, commercial baby food pouch use and baby-led weaning (BLW), are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Household food insecurity may influence complementary feeding practices adopted by families, but no studies have investigated the use of BLW and baby food pouches in families experiencing food insecurity.

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Background: Obtaining valid estimates of nutrient intake in infants is currently limited by the difficulties of accurately measuring human milk intake. Current methods are either unsuitable for large-scale studies (i.e.

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Iron deficiency in infants can impact development, and there are concerns that the use of baby food pouches and baby-led weaning may impair iron status. First Foods New Zealand (FFNZ) was an observational study of 625 New Zealand infants aged 6.9 to 10.

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Background: Although considerable concern has been expressed about the nutritional implications of infant food pouches, how they impact infant diet has not been examined.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of infant food pouches specifically, and commercial infant foods generally, to nutrient intake from complementary foods in infants.

Methods: Two multiple-pass 24-h diet recall data were collected from 645 infants (6.

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Although concern is frequently expressed regarding the potential impact of baby food pouch use and Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) on infant health, research is scarce. Data on pouch use, BLW, energy intake, eating behaviour and body mass index (BMI) were obtained for 625 infants aged 7-10 months in the First Foods New Zealand study. Frequent pouch use was defined as ≥5 times/week during the past month.

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Infant feeding guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to support optimal infant health, growth, and development, and exploring adherence to guidelines is a useful way of assessing diet quality. The aim of this study was to determine adherence to the recently updated Ministry of Health "Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers (0-2 years old)". Data were obtained from First Foods New Zealand, a multicentre observational study of 625 infants aged 7.

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Globally, a recent phenomenon in complementary feeding is the use of squeezable baby food pouches. However, some health agencies have raised concerns about their possible long-term health effects. The aim of this study was to describe parental perceptions of the use of baby food pouches during complementary feeding (i.

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Background: The complementary feeding period is a time of unparalleled dietary change for every human, during which the diet changes from one that is 100% milk to one that resembles the usual diet of the wider family in less than a year. Despite this major dietary shift, we know relatively little about food and nutrient intake in infants worldwide and virtually nothing about the impact of baby food "pouches" and "baby-led weaning" (BLW), which are infant feeding approaches that are becoming increasingly popular. Pouches are squeezable containers with a plastic spout that have great appeal for parents, as evidenced by their extraordinary market share worldwide.

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There has been an important shift in the New Zealand infant food market over the past decade, with the majority of complementary foods now sold in "pouches". Along with the increasing market share of commercial infant food pouches internationally, there have been growing concerns about their nutritional quality. However, research examining the nutritional quality of these pouches compared to other forms of commercial infant foods in New Zealand has not been undertaken.

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