Eggs in Early Complementary Feeding and Child Growth: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Iannotti LL, Lutter CK, Stewart CP, Gallegos Riofrío CA, Malo C, Reinhart G, Palacios A, Karp C, Chapnick M, Cox K, Waters WF
Pediatrics · 192 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Food frequency questionnaire
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Possibly industry funded
- Company
- Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2017-06-07 · Pediatrics · vol. 140 · issue 1
- Publisher
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Cited
- 300 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 17.8× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 28 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Child Nutrition and Water Access · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- Medicine, Confidence interval, Randomized controlled trial, Poisson regression, Underweight, Anthropometry, Demography, Animal science, Rate ratio, Pediatrics, Body mass index, Internal medicine, Population, Overweight, Environmental health
- MeSH
- humans, anthropometry, longitudinal studies, child development, time factors, eggs, adolescent, infant, ecuador, female, male, infant nutritional physiological phenomena, young adult
11 authors
From US, EC
- Lora Lynn IannottiWashington University in St. Louis
- Chessa K. LutterUniversity of Maryland, College Park
- Christine P. StewartUniversity of California, Davis
- Carlos Andres Gallegos RiofríoUniversidad San Francisco de Quito
- Carla MaloUniversidad San Francisco de Quito
- Gregory A. ReinhartMathile Institute For The Advancement of Human Nutrition
Abstract
Background
Eggs are a good source of nutrients for growth and development. We hypothesized that introducing eggs early during complementary feeding would improve child nutrition.
Methods
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador, from March to December 2015. Children ages 6 to 9 months were randomly assigned to treatment (1 egg per day for 6 months [n = 83]) and control (no intervention [n = 80]) groups. Both arms received social marketing messages to encourage participation in the Lulun Project (lulun meaning "egg" in Kichwa). All households were visited once per week to monitor morbidity symptoms, distribute eggs, and monitor egg intakes (for egg group only). Baseline and end point outcome measures included anthropometry, dietary intake frequencies, and morbidity symptoms.
Results
Mothers or other caregivers reported no allergic reactions to the eggs. Generalized linear regression modeling showed the egg intervention increased length-for-age z score by 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.88) and weight-for-age z score by 0.61 (95% CI, 0.45-0.77). Log-binomial models with robust Poisson indicated a reduced prevalence of stunting by 47% (prevalence ratio [PR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37-0.77) and underweight by 74% (PR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.10-0.70). Children in the treatment group had higher dietary intakes of eggs (PR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.28-1.92) and reduced intake of sugar-sweetened foods (PR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51-0.97) compared with control.
Conclusions
The findings supported our hypothesis that early introduction of eggs significantly improved growth in young children. Generally accessible to vulnerable groups, eggs have the potential to contribute to global targets to reduce stunting.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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