The Role of Complementary Food Products in Formation of the Proper Eating Behavior in Infants

Abstract

The evaluation results of an impact of various patterns of the introduction of complementary food products on the eating behavior formation, motor function of the gastrointestinal tract and nutritional status of infants are presented. 50 children of the main group received the manufactured complementary food, 46 children of the control group were fed by home-made products. Children in groups were matched by sex, age, and weight-height criteria. The criteria for tolerance of the introduced products were appetite changes, refusal to eat the product, condition of the skin and visible mucous membranes, occurrence or worsening of posseting, colics, flatulence, changes in frequency and consistency of the stool. The period of adaptation to the introduced complementary food products ran within normal findings in most children of both groups. It is shown that the use of the manufactured content-balanced complementary food, as well as the optimal algorithm of their introduction ensure the «levelling» of indices of children's condition of flesh. In addition, by the end of the third month of receiving complementary food products almost all existing syndromes of functional disorders of the digestive system were completely arrested, except for posseting syndrome. The introduction of the studied complementary food products reduced more than twofold the incidence of this syndrome. Food intolerance reactions occurred with almost equal frequency in children of both groups, but they were lighter in the main group. Thus, the use of the studied complementary products in the food ration of infants provides the «leveling» of indices of condition of flesh, normalization of the gastrointestinal tract functions, allows to create the proper eating behavior and reduces the risk of intestinal tract colonization by pathological species of microorganisms.