Background: The potential health risks of infant formula feeding are well established. This study investigated the opinions and perceptions of mothers and recommendations by hospital staff with respect to infant formula usage in China.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 726 mothers within 6 months postpartum and 241 hospital staff, using structured questionnaires, was conducted in Hangzhou and Shenzhen, China.
Results: Overall, 474 of 726 (65.3%) infants aged within 6 months had consumed some infant formula. About 40.0 percent of mothers chose a hybrid brand of formula (manufactured in China but owned by a foreign company), over imported (< 32.0%) and domestic brands (< 28.0%), despite their higher level of confidence on the quality of imported brands. Perceived insufficient breastmilk production (86.2%) was the most common reason for giving infant formula, followed by return to work (24.6%). Of the 241 hospital staff, 97 (40.2%) gave no recommendation about infant formula brand for infants at any age. However, 47.2 percent of the remaining staff recommended a hybrid brand in combination with an imported and/or a domestic product.
Conclusions: Perceptions by mothers and recommendations from hospital staff appear to contribute to the widespread usage of infant formula in China. It is important to ensure breastmilk substitutes are prescribed to Chinese infants strictly for medical reasons. Maternal education programs incorporating information on food safety issues and establishment of breastfeeding-friendly workplaces could curtail the common practice of formula feeding in China.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/birt.12132 | DOI Listing |
Int J Biol Macromol
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luohe 462300, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Infant Formula Food, State Administration for Market Regulation, Harbin 150030, China. Electronic address:
Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) can be used to develop hypoallergenic foods. However, the stabilization mechanism of WPH-stabilized emulsion is not fully understood. Here, a real-time quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used in conjunction with a rheometer to investigate the interfacial properties of WPH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Colloid Interface Sci
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Luohe 462300, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Infant Formula Food, State Administration for Market Regulation, Harbin 150030, China. Electronic address:
Nanozyme, a class of emerging enzyme mimics, is the nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activity, which has obtained significant and widespread applications in various fields. However, they still face many challenges in practical applications (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Pediatr
January 2025
Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Unlabelled: In very preterm-born infants, nutritional intake is important to reduce the risk of severe metabolic bone disease including the risk of a lower bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study was to evaluate bone mineral content (BMC) and BMD (measured as BMC per bone area (BA)) at six years of age in very preterm-born infants fed different diets post-discharge. Data on this topic so far is insufficient, and with this study we aim to supply more useful data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurosci Biobehav Rev
January 2025
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126, Parma, Italy.
Breast milk (BM) is the main nutrition source for infants that plays a key role on growth and development. Human milk composition includes endogenous and exogenous substances, including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs are man-made environmental chemicals present in everyday environment and food that can disrupt the programming of endocrine signalling pathways during development, resulting in adverse effects that may not be apparent until much later in life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Acad Nutr Diet
January 2025
Division of Research and Evaluation, Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC Program, a program of Heluna Health. Electronic address:
Background: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides benefits redeemable for select healthy foods, aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to support healthy diets among pregnant and postpartum women, and their children to age 5 years, living in low-income households. WIC benefits are often not fully redeemed, limiting nutritional benefits of participation.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the associations of WIC participant, caregiver, and household characteristics with WIC food benefit redemption.
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