Infant Formula Usage Among Infants and Toddlers, Aged 0–23 Months, in a Convenience Sample, 2019–March 2020

Objectives: The objectives were to estimate: 1) the percentage of infant formula (IF) use, 2) the percentage of infants and toddlers using IF with selected bioactives, and 3) the proportion of infants and toddlers consuming both IF and dietary supplements (DS). Methods: Data from the 2019–March 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a non-nationally representative convenience sample of infants and toddlers aged 0-23 mo (n=385) obtained from the Research Data Center (RDC), were analyzed. Results: In 2019-March 2020, 45.7% of infants and toddlers aged 0-23 mo. consumed IF within the past 14 days. Most IF users were infants aged 0-11 mo; 47.7% were aged 0-5 mo., 42.1% were aged 6-11 mo. Only 10.2% were toddlers aged 12-23 mo. For infants aged 0-11 mo who consumed IF, 67.6% were from families with incomes below 185% of federal poverty level (FPL), 40.4% were participants in the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, and 56.3% in Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Most of the infants and toddlers (73.9%) used a single product, with 13.8% using two products in the past 14 days. Containers of IF were seen for 94.2% of the IF users. The most consumed IFs reported for infants and toddlers were Enfamil with iron and docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (27.2%), Similac with iron, lutein, DHA and vitamin E (23.0%) and Gerber Good Start with iron and DHA (5.2%). Information on these commonly used IFs would help better inform the IF list in other surveys using FFQ's. About 68% of infants 0-11 mo. and 10% of toddlers 12-23 mo consumed a product with DHA. Furthermore, 7% of infants consumed a product with probiotics and 19% consumed one with a prebiotic; < 5% of toddlers consumed a product with pro- or pre-biotics. A total of 20.5% of infants and toddlers used DS. Among those who consumed IF, 13.1% also used at least 1 DS; 11.9% of those aged 0-5 mo, 8.1% of those aged 6-11 mo, and 0.6% of those aged 12-23 mo. Conclusions: Among infants and toddlers aged 0-23 mo., 45.7% consumed IF within the past 14 days, in this convenience sample, with many products including bioactives such as DHA and probiotics. Furthermore, many IF users also consumed DSs. This data highlights the importance of comprehensive dietary assessment to ensure that all nutrients and bioactives are being captured in order to accurately estimate intake. Funding Sources: None.