Fruit Intake After Weaning With Vegetables or Fruits Clinical Trial
— VaVoOfficial title:
Mum Can I Have Vegetables Again? Development of Vegetable Preferences.
- Rationale: Despite the health benefits, children's consumption of vegetables is below
the recommendations. Most human food preferences are learned through mere exposure,
imitation, and conditioning principles. During the last years, it has become clear that
the development of food preferences starts very early in life. Furthermore, preferences
that are learned early in life, are relatively stable and may track into adulthood.
However, it is unclear how vegetable preferences develop from infancy until young
childhood. In order to influence vegetable consumption, it is essential to study the
opportunities to develop a preference for vegetable products early in childhood.
- Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of repeated exposure to
vegetables compared to repeated exposure to fruit during weaning on short and long term
vegetable and fruit intake. Furthermore, the stability of the learned fruit or
vegetable preferences and the later food preferences are measured (i.e. vegetable,
fruits, sweets).
- Study design:
In this longitudinal study we will measure the development of preferences for a particular
vegetable or fruit type within 4 to 6 months old subjects, during a 19 day exposure period
to fruit or vegetables (of which 9 days exposure to the target fruit or vegetable) and 6
months after this exposure period. In addition, we compare the food preferences (fruit,
vegetable, sweet foods in general), after 6 months, between infants who were weaned with a
variety of fruits and infants who were weaned with a variety of vegetables.
| Status | Completed |
| Enrollment | 101 |
| Est. completion date | September 2012 |
| Est. primary completion date | September 2012 |
| Accepts healthy volunteers | Accepts Healthy Volunteers |
| Gender | Both |
| Age group | 4 Months to 6 Months |
| Eligibility |
Inclusion Criteria: - Infants between 4 and 6 months of age that are apparently healthy are invited to participate in the study. The parents have to give permission for themselves and for their infant to participate by signing an informed consent. By signing the informed consent the parents also agree to participate in the study for 2 years. Exclusion Criteria: - The parents will not sign the informed consent - The parents have already started weaning their child - The infant has a food allergy or intolerance - The child has medical problems that influences with eating or food digestion. (e.g. schisis, problems with the bowls) - The child has a known cognitive or physical developmental problem, which influences how the child's reaction or facial expressions. |
Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science
| Country | Name | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Wageningen University | Wageningen | Gelderland |
| Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| Wageningen University |
Netherlands,
Barends, C.d.V., J; Mojet, J & de Graaf, C, Effects of repeated exposure to either vegetables or fruits on infant's vegetable and fruit acceptance at the beginning of weaning. Food quality and preference, 29 , 157-165, 2013
| Type | Measure | Description | Time frame | Safety issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Change in Vegetable and fruit intake | Change in Vegetable and fruit intake from before to after the repeated exposure to it. Measured at day 1 and 2 and day 17 and 18 at the intervention. | At the first 19 days of weaning (4-6 months of age) | No |
| Primary | Intake of the target Vegetables and fruits at 12 months of age. | Vegetable and fruit intake at 12 months of age. Measured in the lab. Fruit group received apple, plum and green beans at 3 different days | 6 months after the intervention. Mean age 12 months. | No |
| Primary | Green beans and Apple intake at 23 months of age. | Green beans and Apple intake at 23 months of age. | when infants are 23 months of age | No |
| Secondary | Vegetable and in fruit intake after the repeated exposure | Difference in vegetable intake between vegetable and fruit groups and in fruit intake between the vegetable and fruit groups. Vegetable intake is measured on day 17 and 18 in the vegetable groups and in the fruit groups at day 19 (when fruit groups gets the first vegetable. | After the repeated exposure period during the first 19 days of weaning | No |