Complementary and young child feeding (CYCF) - impact on short and long term development and health, (18 months), 2008-2009

Most babies are introduced to solid foods at the age of four to six months. At twelve to eighteen months the toddler will be eating the same food as the rest of the family. The period from six months to three years are characterized by rapid growth and development of the brain. It is believed that within the first years of the baby’s life, several periods occur in which the genes and metabolism may be particularly sensitive to the influences of the diet. If the diet is not optimal at this particular state it can have long-term effects on the growth and health of the child. This is called the thrifty phenotype hypothesis. The type and amount of food that the children consume in their early childhood are important for the growth and health both in the present and in the future. However, more extensive knowledge on the connection between young children’s diet and their growth and health later in life is still needed. Early prevention of obesity is important since the long-term effects of the existing obesity treatment are limited. The purpose of the SKOT cohort study is to contribute with new and important knowledge by identifying contributing factors to obesity in children. This part of the study examines the children’s diet when they were eighteen months old. The information was gathered through food recording by the parents and day care centers. The data collection was carried out in cooperation with DTU food National Food Institute and the method was the same as used in “Dietary Habits of the Danish Population”.