Nutrient Intakes of
Infants and Toddlers
Barbara Devaney PhD, Paula Ziegler PhD, RD,
Susan Pac MS, RD, Vatsala Karwe PhD, and
Susan Barr PhD, RD
Study Question
•
Do infants and toddlers have nutritionally
adequate diets?
¾
Do they consume enough nutrients to
satisfy their requirements without having
excessive consumption?
Infants and Toddlers Are Getting
Enough Calcium
939
1000
800
631
600
505
500
400
270
210
200
0
4-6 Months
7-11 Months
AI (mg)
Mean Intake (mg)
1-2 Years
Energy Intakes Exceed
Estimated Requirements
Age
EER
Mean
Intake
Median
Intake
4 to 6 Months
629
690
670
7 to 11 Months
739
912
884
1 to 2 Years
950
1,249
1,220
Many Toddlers Have Fat Intakes Outside
of the Recommended Range
Percentage of Toddlers
Percent of Food Energy From Fat
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
62
29
9
< AMDR
In AMDR
> AMDR
Fiber (g)
Additional Research May Be Needed on
Some DRIs for Toddlers
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
19
• Fiber intakes are less
than recommendations
• Less than 1% have
usual intakes > UL,
except:
8
¾
¾
Mean intake
AI
Vitamin A: 35%
Zinc: 43%
Summary of Study Findings
• Overall, infants and toddlers have
nutritionally adequate diets
• Infants and toddlers consume more calories
than their estimated requirements
• Children 12 to 24 months vary in their fat
intakes and a significant proportion have fat
intakes that fall below the Acceptable
Macronutrient Distribution Range
Applications
• High energy intakes relative to requirements
suggest the need for parent education
• Additional research to substantiate some
DRIs is needed
¾ EAR for vitamin E
¾ AMDR for fat
¾ AI for fiber
¾ UL for vitamin A and
Zinc