Research is in progress regarding low consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs) by very young children. Two studies in the United States show that 1\/3 of children aged 6-9 months and 1\/5 of children aged 9-12 months never eat FVs. According to American recommendations, FVs should account for an increasing share of children\u2019s diet from the age of 2 years. For children aged under 2 years, this is more problematic, as babies eat only the foods they like.<\/p>\n
FVs are among the foods most commonly rejected by so-called fussy children. Fussy behaviour reaches its peak at around 20 months of age, and disappears between 5 and 8 years of age. Food neophobia, which is characterised by the refusal of unknown foods, is also linked to low acceptance of FVs. It has a strong genetic base (72-78%) in early childhood. The hypothesis that neophobia and fussy behaviour have the same genetic origin, and that this interacts with children\u2019s taste for FVs, has been made1. This hypothesis was tested using data from the British twin cohort Gemini (2660 children under 3 years old). There was a significant negative correlation between \u2018being a fussy eater\u2019 and taste for FVs, particularly for monozygotic twins. Shared genes contributed to the observed phenotypic correlations; thus, if one twin had a high rating for \u2018fussy eating\u2019, the other twin tended to have a low rating for FVs. These results show that being fussy and taste for FVs are common hereditary traits among young children.<\/p>\n
The B-24 project (US Department of Health and Human Services) evaluates the scientific evidence regarding children aged under 2 years2. One finding is that babies are naturally able to detect foods that are energy- and nutrient-dense, and they avoid potentially toxic items that have a bitter taste, such as some FVs. A preference for sweet and salty flavours and an aversion towards bitter tastes dominates during childhood and adolescence. The perception of bitterness is extremely variable from one individual to another, and is linked to genetic differences in infants.<\/p>\n
How can acceptance be improved?<\/strong> Children may not accept a food item due to an innate dislike, or because they were not introduced to that food during a \u2018sensitive\u2019 period for becoming familiar with it. What role might breastfeeding and weaning foods play, given that they are infants\u2019 early experiences of taste and textures3,4<\/sup>.<\/p>\n At all stages, the more varied tastes and textures an infant experiences, the more likely he or she is to be willing to try new foods. This means that complementary foods should be given, altering the tastes frequently, and that the early introduction of complementary textured food (other than smooth pur\u00e9es) confers an advantage in terms of the acceptance of other more complex textures, such as those found in the majority of FVs3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong> 1. Fildes A., Van Jaarsveld C., Cooke L., Wardle J., and Llewellyn C.H. (2016):\n
\nBeginning very early on in life, sensory experiences can shape and alter food preferences. Children\u2019s rejection of some FVs, particularly bitter vegetables, can have a genetic origin, but can also be caused by environmental factors such as the mother\u2019s dietary habits. Breastfeeding and the early introduction of complementary foods are predictors of later acceptance of FVs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-70701","article_revue","type-article_revue","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"auteur":"","source":"","revue":[{"ID":70697,"post_author":"22","post_date":"2020-04-30 11:59:59","post_date_gmt":"2020-04-30 09:59:59","post_content":"","post_title":"17 - January 2017","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"17-january-2017","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2020-04-30 11:59:59","post_modified_gmt":"2020-04-30 09:59:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/aprifel-pp.mentalworks.biz\/?post_type=revue&p=70697","menu_order":218,"post_type":"revue","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"position":"2","references":"
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