The Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS) 2021: Study Design,Methods and Sample Description

(1) Background: Caregiver feeding practices during the first two years of a child’s life influence nutrition, growth, and development, as well as long term taste preferences and dietary patterns. Suboptimal feeding practices lead to poorer health outcomes, such as obesity, that persist into adulthood. Although the importance of early life nutrition is well-established, there are no Australia-wide surveys of dietary intakes of children under two years of age. The 2021 Australian Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (OzFITS) aims to fill this gap. This paper describes the methods and study sample of OzFITS 2021. (2) Methods: OzFITS 2021 is a cross-sectional study of children aged 0 to 23.9 months of age and their caregiver across Australia. Data were collected between April 2020 and April 2021. A telephone-based survey was completed with a caregiver to obtain information on child and caregiver characteristics and feeding practices. For exclusively breastfed infants, the number of breastfeeds in a 24 h period was reported. Dietary intakes for mixed fed children were estimated using a one-day food record, with 30% of caregivers completing a second food record on a non-consecutive day. (3) Results: We enrolled 1140 caregiver and child dyads. Of those eligible to complete a food record, 853 (87%) completed the food record. Compared to the Australian population, caregivers were more likely to be university-educated (>75%), married or in a de facto relationship (94%), and have a household income >$100,000/y (60%). (4) Conclusions: OzFITS 2021 is the first national study to examine food and nutrient intake in Australian children aged under 2 years. The study will provide information on breastfeeding rates and duration, use of breast milk substitutes, and timing of solid food introduction. Dietary intake data will allow the comparison of core food groups and discretionary food intake to Australian guidelines and estimate the prevalence of inadequate intake of key nutrients, like iron. Healthcare practitioners and policymakers can use the study findings as a source of evidence to inform the next iteration of infant feeding guidelines.     

Feasibility of a Modified Ride-on Car Intervention on Play Behaviors during an Inclusive Playgroup

Aims: Children with mobility related disabilities often experience limited participation and access to social interactions. An emerging pediatric powered mobility device are modified ride-on cars that provide self-directed mobility experiences to children with disabilities. This study aimed to determine: (1) the feasibility of a modified ride-on car intervention during an inclusive playgroup, (2) the effect of a modified ride-on car intervention on the play behaviors of children with and without mobility related disabilities. Method: A single-subject research design was implemented. Thirteen children participated in a weekly inclusive playgroup. The five children with mobility related disabilities were provided modified ride-on cars during the intervention. Children's play behaviors were classified with Howes' Peer Play Scale. Intervention effects were examined using nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP). Results: The intervention was feasible based on participants' good attendance, retention rates, and successful use of modified ride-on cars. Overall children did not experience significant changes in play behaviors, with a few exceptions for decreased solitary, and increased parallel play, and/or direct peer interaction, among children with mobility related disabilities. Future research could examine modified ride-on car use by children with mobility related disabilities focusing on changes in unique play interactions between children with and without disabilities.     

上海市儿童福利机构唇、腭裂婴儿体格发育监测分析

目的：了解上海市儿童福利机构内唇、腭裂婴幼儿的体格发育现状,为有效改进保育、护理等措施打下基础。方法：对上海市儿童福利机构内0—3岁唇、腭裂婴幼儿体格发育主要衡量指标进行定时测量。结果：上海市儿童福利机构唇、腭裂婴幼儿体格发育水平明显落后于社会正常婴幼儿和机构内婴幼儿;接受唇、腭裂修补术与尚未进行修补术的唇、腭裂婴幼儿体格发育有显著差异性。结论：上海市儿童福利机构唇、腭裂婴幼儿体格发育总体水平明显落后,早期进行唇、腭裂修补术对其有明显影响。     

Terrible ones? Assessment of externalizing behaviors in infancy with the Child Behavior Checklist

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the occurrence, cross-informant agreement, 1-year stability, and context characteristics of externalizing behaviors in 12-month-old children, as compared to 24- and 36-month-olds. METHOD: In a general population sample of 786 12-month-olds, 720 24-month-olds, and 744 36-month-olds, the CBCL/ 1(1/2)-5 was obtained from mothers and fathers and again one year later for a subsample of 307 children. Mothers of 1,831 children also provided complete data on child, mother, and family characteristics. RESULTS: Over three-fourths of the externalizing behaviors occurred in more than 10% of 12-month-olds, over one-third of the items in more than 25%. For almost all externalizing behaviors, the occurrence was significantly lower in 12-month-olds compared to 24- and 36-month-old children. Mother-father agreement and 1-year stability of externalizing behaviors in 12-month-old children were significant, but generally somewhat lower than in 24- and 36-month-olds. Context characteristics were related to externalizing behaviors in 12-month-olds as well as in older children. Some associations were less pronounced in 12-month-old children, but the overall pattern of correlates was similar across age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that externalizing behaviors in 12-month-old children merit further research and can be assessed with the CBCL in a valid way.     

Perspective of parents and caregivers on the influence of full-time day-care attendance on young children

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of parents and caregivers regarding young children in day care. The tiredness of children after day-care attendance was explored. In the autumn of 2009, 41 parents and 35 caregivers of children aged 1.5 years or younger living in the city of Trondheim and nearby communities were assessed using a semi-structured qualitative interview. There was agreement among parents and caregivers that children became very tired after full-time care. In spite of the good quality of the care, with a relatively low child/adult ratio and very experienced caregivers with high educational qualifications, most children became very tired at the end of the stay. Tiredness in children also seemed to accumulate during the week and reached its peak on Fridays. The children adjusted well to care; however, they got very tired when the stay lasted a full day. Children who were picked up somewhat earlier did not exhibit the same level of tiredness.     

Toddler interaction during play in the Swedish preschool

This article focuses on how children aged 17–24 months initiate play and interact with their peers during self-initiated play in preschools. Play is looked upon as a rich arena for observing toddler interaction. The ethnographic study was carried out in a toddler unit with 15 children. Six one-year-old girls and boys were observed during five weeks at the end of a longer research period. The study follows a phenomenological tradition with participatory observations and video recordings. The overall findings support a theoretical perspective where very young children are seen as social actors, with social competences. Play invitation strategies, as well as play enactment and play-closing moves, were mostly found to be based on nonverbal communication such as locomotion, gestures, physical actions and facial expressions. This study also shows that the competence of taking others’ perspectives was found recurrently in play among younger children. Furthermore, the young children used negotiating skills during their play.     

Development of body-part vocabulary in toddlers in relation to self-understanding

To better understand young children's ability to communicate about their bodies, toddlers' comprehension and production of 27 common body-part words was assessed using parental report at 20 and 30 months (n?=?64), and self-awareness was assessed using mirror self-recognition. Children at both ages comprehended more body-part words that referred to themselves than to others' bodies, and more words referring to locations that they could see on themselves than to those they could not see. Children with more advanced mirror self-recognition comprehended and produced more body-part words. These findings suggest that with age and better understanding of the self, children also possess a better understanding of the body, and they provide new information about factors that affect how young children begin to talk about their own and others' bodies. They should be useful for practitioners who need to ask children about their bodies and body parts.     

广西阳朔县婴幼儿佝偻病危险因素的调查研究

用非条件Logistic回归分析方法对广西阳朔县0～3岁小儿春秋季佝偻病的危险因素进行了研究,结果表明婴儿期春季佝偻病的危险因素为出生季节、居室朝向、父亲文化和辅食添加时间;秋季危险因素为辅食种类和预防接种史。幼儿期春季佝偻病的危险因素为辅食鱼肉的添加;秋季危险因素为营养不良。提示广西地区预防佝偻病应采取对冬季出生的小儿投给一段时间的维生素D,改变过早单一地添加米糊的喂养习惯,同时注意及时添加富有营养的辅食等综合防治措施。