According to a new analysis on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, appearing in the journal Nutrients, U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 6 years old overall have inadequate intakes of specific key nutrients, including calcium, DHA, vitamin D, and iron.
 
Results from 9,848 NHANES participants between the ages of one and six showed that across age, race/ethnicity, and family income segments, these inadequate nutrient intakes were significant. Children in this age bracket are characterized by rapid physical, social, and cognitive growth, and a nutritionally-adequate diet consisting of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins is important to a child’s development, the authors of the study said, adding that because this timeframe of development is so important, sufficient efforts to improve nutritional intakes of children is urgent.
 
“Getting children to eat a well-rounded diet can be a challenge, as any parent knows,” Dr. Natasha Burgert, board-certified pediatrician at Pediatric Associates in Overland Park, KS, and consulting physician for Reckitt, the parent company of several hygiene, health, and nutrition brands, said. “It’s important as many parents as possible are aware of the important role of nutrition, particularly the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. What’s most concerning is that many children aren’t getting adequate or recommended amounts of nutrients that are important for healthy development such as calcium, iron, vitamin D and DHA. If we can help parents and physicians identify the potential nutrient gaps children might face during this important time for young children, we can help ensure they’re also equipped with solutions to provide a well-balanced diet that helps support healthy growth and development.”
 
It is estimated by the researchers that 1.2 million children in the U.S. between ages 1 and 3 are deficient in iron (as measured by serum ferritin), which is needed to support a child’s growth, brain development, and immune function. In comparison with other races/ethnicities sampled, non-Hispanic Black children had the highest deficiency (11.7%, 1-6 years), while non-Hispanic White children (10.7%, 1-6 years) had the lowest rates of iron deficiency.
 
The proportion of children not meeting EAR (estimated average requirement) for vitamin D appeared to increase with increasing age – 79.2% for 1-2 years, 87.3% for 2-3 years, and 90.8% for 4-6 years.
 
Almost the entire population (97-99%) of children between the ages 1 and 6 were deficient in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid important in child cognitive development. While the expert recommendations for DHA intake range between 70 and 100 mg/day, the mean intake for children in the study was only 24 mg/day.
 
When it comes to calcium, NHANES data suggests that 17% of toddlers between the ages of 12 and 23 months have inadequate intakes of calcium.
 
While it is promising that children get most of the nutrients they need from their diets, there are continued concerns among physicians when it comes to the four nutrients highlighted in this study, Burgert said.
 
“Our mission is to make sure parents are aware of potential issues during this key period of development so they can look for nutritious solutions with their pediatricians,” she said. “Feeding toddlers is certainly a journey that evolves daily, and we don’t want parents to feel helpless or frustrated. I always recommend that the parents of my patients get children involved in grocery shopping and cooking, educate them about nutritious whole foods, provide them with a few healthy options at snack time so they get to ‘choose’ and talk positively about food. Supplementation is also an easy option to help close those gaps. I urge parents to have honest conversations about nutrition with their pediatricians. Together, you can come up with a plan that helps ensure each child has the foundational nutrition they need for development.”