Nutritional and speech therapy guidance for the introduction of foods in infants: dietary profile and risk of pediatric feeding disorder

Purpose  To assess the dietary profile, nutritional status and risk of pediatric eating disorders in healthy infants undergoing food introduction, and to compare these variables between groups that received or did not receive specialized nutritional and speech therapy guidance.

Methods  Descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. The Guided Group was composed of infants whose parents reported having received guidance on food introduction in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic. The Non-Guided Group was composed of infants whose parents did not receive guidance on food introduction or received it in childcare by other professionals. Medical records were analyzed and interviews and anthropometric measurements were taken to outline the clinical and nutritional profile. Diet quality was assessed using the Food Consumption Markers Form. The classification of nutritional status followed the World Health Organization curves. The risk of pediatric eating disorders was assessed using the Brazilian Infant Feeding Scale.

Results  Sixty infants participated. The Non-Guided Group started complementary feeding early, before six months. The quality of the Guided Group's diet was better, with greater dietary diversity, higher consumption of foods rich in vitamin A and lower intake of ultra-processed foods. There was a predominance of eutrophy in both groups. The Guided Group had a lower risk of pediatric eating disorders.

Conclusion  Nutritional and speech therapy guidance for the initiation of complementary feeding was associated with the quality of the infants' diet, but was not associated with nutritional status. The risk of pediatric eating disorders was more frequent in the Non-Guided Group.

Keywords:
Feeding Behavior; Infant; Infant Nutrition; Diet; Nutrition Assessment