Maternal reasons for offering ultra-processed foods to infants under one year old: CLaB study results

Authors

  • Thaís da Silva Adriano Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Departamento de Enfermagem. Botucatu, SP, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3315-7914
  • Michelly da Silva Alves Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Departamento de Enfermagem. Botucatu, SP, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3827-212X
  • Caroline de Barros Gomes Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva. Botucatu, SP, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9576-4251
  • Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite Carvalhaes Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva. Botucatu, SP, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6695-0792

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2025.88901

Keywords:

Complementary feeding. Feeding practices.Ultra-processed foods. Cohort studies.

Abstract

Introduction: the reasons for introducing ultra-processed foods into infants' diets are not well known. Objective: to investigate mothers' reasons for introducing ultra-processed foods into their children's diets during the first year of life. Methods: data from a quantitative prospective cohort study, the CLaB study, with 656 mother/child pairs in Botucatu, São Paulo. A questionnaire was administered at seven points during the first year of life, assessing the introduction (yes, no) of 10 ultra-processed foods into the infant's diet: chocolate drink, soft drink, industrialized juice, powdered juice mix, cheese petit suisse, processed meats, filled cookies, packet snacks, instant noodles, and ice cream. When the first "yes" answer was given for each food, the reason for this practice was questioned. Maternal responses were grouped according to their nature or meaning. Result: it was possible to obtain data for 614 children from the cohort. The primary maternal justification for introducing ultra-processed foods was the claim that the baby was at the "right age" to start receiving these foods. Ultra-processed sweetened drinks were introduced because the child was at the "right age" or the "baby needs" this food. Among solids/semisolids, the most offered were cheese petit suisse (71.17%) and ice cream (42.67%), with mothers reporting "baby needs it" as the main reason for offering them. Conclusion: the introduction of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the first year reflects maternal perception of these products as part of children's dietary routine, highlighting the importance of educational strategies and multisectoral interventions to promote healthy eating in early childhood.

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Published

2025-11-17

How to Cite

1.
da Silva Adriano T, da Silva Alves M, de Barros Gomes C, de Barros Leite Carvalhaes MA. Maternal reasons for offering ultra-processed foods to infants under one year old: CLaB study results. DEMETRA [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 17 [cited 2025 Nov. 23];20:e88901. Available from: https://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/demetra/article/view/88901

Issue

Vol. 20 (2025)

Section

Food and Nutrition in Collective Health

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Copyright (c) 2025 Thaís da Silva Adriano, Michelly da Silva Alves, Caroline de Barros Gomes, Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite Carvalhaes

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