A new study has indicated that 98% of toddlers and two-thirds of infants in the US consume added sugars in their food each day.
The study, which analyzed national data, showed that toddlers and infants in the US were consuming too much added sugars every day. This was despite the American Heart Association's recommendation that children less than two years of age not have access to any added sugars, which includes any sweeteners that don't naturally occur in food.
Lead investigator Kirsten Herrick, a program director at the Division of Cancer Control and Population Studies with the National Cancer Institute, said: "The consumption of added sugars among children has been associated with negative health conditions such as cavities, asthma, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and altered lipid profiles."
"Whether these associations exist for even younger children hasn't been studied. The aim of this study was to focus on one aspect of diet -- added sugars [and] consumption among US infants and toddlers -- that could inform the dietary guidelines," added Herrick.
Data analysis revealed that infants aged 6 to 11 months were typically given added sugars through flavored yogurt, baby snacks and sweet bakery products, with sugars contained in breast milk or infant formulas not considered.
Meanwhile, toddlers aged 12 to 23 months got their added sugars primarily from fruit drinks, candy and sweet baked goods. The researchers found that infants on average consumed a teaspoon of added sugar a day while toddlers consumed around 6 teaspoons a day.
In an interview with the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Herrick mentioned: "We did not find any differences in added sugar consumption by sex, family income level or head of household education. We did however find differences in added sugars consumption by race and Hispanic origin."
"For example, non-Hispanic Asian toddlers consumed the fewest added sugars at around 3.7 teaspoons [a day]. Non-Hispanic Black toddlers consumed the most added sugars at about 8.2 teaspoons [a day]," she mentioned.
