Infant Feeding: Advances and Future Challenges: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neonatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2024) | Viewed by 4110

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Midwifery, School of Health & Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Interests: domestic violence in pregnancy; breastfeeding; perinatal mental health
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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Midwifery, University of Western Macedonia, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece
Interests: neonatal intensive care

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, Agioy Spyridonos 28, 12243 Egaleo, Greece
Interests: neonatal intensive care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to collaborate with this Special Issue, ”Infant Feeding: Advances and Future Challenges: 2nd Edition”. Nutrition is undoubtedly an expression of the culture of every people. Nutrition in infancy is a cornerstone not only for the proper and healthy development of the child but also for their health in adulthood. To date, much of the research on the long-term effects of infant nutrition has been given to breastfeeding, comparing formula feeding and evaluating the effects of exclusivity, time, and duration of feeding on different types of infant milk. The transition from breast milk to solid food is a defining moment that affects the subsequent development of the child's nutritional variety but also the quality of food. However, the method of weaning, the types of milk that will replace or follow breastfeeding, and the age when solid foods are introduced have not yet been adequately studied for their effects on later health. This Special Issue of Children aims to identify optimal feeding practices and their causal effects on short-term and long-term health. Research on infants from different backgrounds is the key to providing generalizable data that can be used to determine best feeding practices.

Submissions related to different infant feeding, such as different types of formula milk, different food culture and their effects on human health, are welcome.

Dr. Evangelia Antoniou
Guest Editor

Dr. Maria K. Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou
Dr. Eirini Orovou
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breastfeeding
  • formula feeding
  • specific types of formula
  • special nutritional needs
  • methods of weaning

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 594 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Malnutrition Practices and Mother’s Education on Children Failure to Thrive Symptoms Using Entropy-Weight and TOPSIS Method
by Maria Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou, Georgia Zournatzidou, Eirini Orovou, Maria Lithoxopoulou, Eftychia Drogouti, George Sklavos, Evangelia Antoniou and Christos Tsakalidis
Children 2024, 11(8), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080903 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 864
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Failure to thrive (FTT) is mostly caused by insufficient consumption of nutrient-rich food, recurrent infections like diarrhea and intestinal worms, substandard caregiving practices, and limited availability of health and other vital services. Furthermore, there was a correlation between the educational level of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Failure to thrive (FTT) is mostly caused by insufficient consumption of nutrient-rich food, recurrent infections like diarrhea and intestinal worms, substandard caregiving practices, and limited availability of health and other vital services. Furthermore, there was a correlation between the educational level of mothers and the occurrence of FTT in children aged 6–12 months. Thus, the objective of the current research is twofold: (i) to investigate other factors related to FTT and (ii) to evaluate the impact of them on FTT in Sub-Saharan African countries and their urban areas. Methods: We used weight entropy and TOPSIS methods to approach the research question. In particular, the entropy-weight method is effective for precisely evaluating the relative significance of the selected criteria for TOPSIS computation. Thus, data were retrieved from the database of UNICEF for the year 2019 for nine Sub-Saharan countries, and based on the methods used, five criteria have been selected for consideration. Those of mothers in higher education were identified as having a higher weight, which means that this can affect positively the ability of mothers to mitigate the situation of FTT and protect their children. Results: The findings of the study highlight the factors of maternal education at a higher level and unhealthy habits as those with the greatest weight and impact on the FTT. Moreover, the results indicate that the association between maternal education, and especially higher education, and FTT is stronger in Ethiopia. Despite the limited amount of research on the specified relationship in Sub-Saharan countries, this study is among the initial ones to examine it. Conclusions: The current study can aid policymakers in devising appropriate policies and implementing effective measures to tackle FTT in Sub-Saharan Africa, like enhancing the number of mothers in these countries to be integrated into the educational system to help both themselves and their children mitigate or avoid the symptoms of FTT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Feeding: Advances and Future Challenges: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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19 pages, 276 KiB  
Review
Dietary Approaches for Complementary Feeding: The Greek Mediterranean Diet as a Model for Caregivers
by Sofia Eleftheriou, Emilia Vassilopoulou, Anastasia Barbouni, Michael Chourdakis and Anastasia Kanellou
Children 2024, 11(11), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111310 - 29 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Complementary feeding (CF), is defined as the process of providing foods in addition to milk when breast milk or milk formula alone are no longer adequate to meet nutritional requirements. CF affects not only growth but also the subsequent development of the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Complementary feeding (CF), is defined as the process of providing foods in addition to milk when breast milk or milk formula alone are no longer adequate to meet nutritional requirements. CF affects not only growth but also the subsequent development of the child’s dietary preferences. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is one of the most studied dietary patterns worldwide. The main purpose of this article is to provide practical guidance for CF to caregivers introducing the Greek MedDiet, summarizing the current different approaches. The evidence-based information provided could be used by developers to create a reliable digital app for CF based on Mediterranean foods and traditional dishes. Methods: An in-depth literature review of the existing guidelines and recently published research data on CF using PubMed, national recommendations, and grey literature were undertaken. Results: Practical, simple, evidence-based, comprehensive tables are presented. The tables serve as a guide to simplify the process of introducing Mediterranean foods in CF. Τhe tables consist of a total of more than 90 foods and day-to-day guidance for the first 13 weeks of CF. Furthermore, specific dietary guidance and suggestions regarding the order and content of meals during CF are given. Discussion: The tables are based on updated recommendations, summarizing the optimal feeding practices in a MedDiet-based perspective. Conclusions: Conclusively, there are significant contradictions among different organizations that present practical issues and cause confusion among caregivers. An effort was carried out to provide practical evidence-based guidance for caregivers introducing MedDiet during CF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infant Feeding: Advances and Future Challenges: 2nd Edition)
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