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Peter J Aggett

Publications and source records attributed to Peter J Aggett.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge: a commentary by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition.

Survival of small premature infants has markedly improved during the last few decades. These infants are discharged from hospital care with body weight below the usual birth weight of healthy term infants. Early nutrition support of preterm infants influences long-term health outcomes. Therefore, the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition has reviewed available evidence on feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge. Close monitoring of growth during hospital stay and after discharge is recommended to enable the provision of adequate nutrition support. Measurements of length and head circumference, in addition to weight, must be used to identify those preterm infants with poor growth that may need additional nutrition support. Infants with an appropriate weight for postconceptional age at discharge should be breast-fed when possible. When formula-fed, such infants should be fed regular infant formula with provision of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Infants discharged with a subnormal weight for postconceptional age are at increased risk of long-term growth failure, and the human milk they consume should be supplemented, for example, with a human milk fortifier to provide an adequate nutrient supply. If formula-fed, such infants should receive special postdischarge formula with high contents of protein, minerals and trace elements as well as an long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supply, at least until a postconceptional age of 40 weeks, but possibly until about 52 weeks postconceptional age. Continued growth monitoring is required to adapt feeding choices to the needs of individual infants and to avoid underfeeding or overfeeding.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2004

Functional effects of food: what do we know in children?

The knowledge base underpinning the setting of nutrient requirements for children and adolescents is not very secure. The advent of the concepts of optimal nutrition and functional foods has encouraged the possible use of functional effects as criteria for adequate nutrition in this age group. Target functions have been identified for growth development and differentiation and for behavioural and cognitive development. However, ideal markers or effects for these are not generally available. Additionally, nutrition in young people should avoid predisposing them to diet-related disease in later life. It is suggested that functional effects should include markers of reduction of risks of disease (nutritional safety) as well of benefits for health and well-being. Such markers of functional effects should be expected to arise from fundamental studies of nutrient-gene interactions and post-genomic metabolism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Nondigestible carbohydrates in the diets of infants and young children: a commentary by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition.

The consumption of nondigestible carbohydrates is perceived as beneficial by health professionals and the general public, but the translation of this information into dietary practice, public health recommendations, and regulatory policy has proved difficult. Nondigestible carbohydrates are a heterogeneous entity, and their definition is problematic. Without a means to characterize the dietary components associated with particular health benefits, specific attributions of these cannot be made. Food labeling for "fiber" constituents can be given only in a general context, and the development of health policy, dietary advice, and education, and informed public understanding of nondigestible carbohydrates are limited. There have, however, been several important developments in our thinking about nondigestible carbohydrates during the past few years. The concept of fiber has expanded to include a range of nondigestible carbohydrates. Their fermentation, fate, and effects in the colon have become a defining characteristic; human milk, hitherto regarded as devoid of nondigestible carbohydrates, is now recognized as a source for infants, and the inclusion of nondigestible carbohydrates in the diet has been promoted for their "prebiotic" effects. Therefore, a review of the importance of nondigestible carbohydrates in the diets of infants and young children is timely. The aims of this commentary are to clarify the current definitions of nondigestible carbohydrates, to review published evidence for their biochemical, physiologic, nutritional, and clinical effects, and to discuss issues involved in defining dietary guidelines for infants and young children.

Biological Availability↗