13: The Association Between Meat and Meat Alternatives Consumption and Iron Stores in Early Childhood

Iron deficiency is a common childhood problem that can have lasting negative cognitive and psychomotor developmental effects. To prevent iron deficiency, the new 2014 Canadian nutrition recommendations for healthy term infants from six to 24 months recommend iron-rich complementary foods such as meat and meat alternatives two or more times a day. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association between meat and meat alternatives consumption and iron status in young children and to assess the association between red meat consumption and iron status among children meeting current Canadian recommendations for meat consumption. Healthy children, ages 12–36 months, were recruited from a primary care practice-based research network. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Children's meat and meat alternatives consumption was measured by a validated questionnaire, NutriSTEP®. Multivariable regression analyses were used to evaluate an association between meat consumption and serum ferritin, and iron deficiency (serum ferritin <14 μg/L) adjusting for potential confounding variables. A total of 875 children (median age 19 months) were included. 72% of children met the recommended intake of meat and meat alternatives two or more times per day and 66% of children ate red meat in the past three days. Adjusted regression analyses revealed that eating meat or meat alternatives was not associated with serum ferritin (0.38 μg/L [95% CI −0.98 to 1.82], P=0.59) or with iron deficiency (odds ratio [OR]=0.87 [95% CI 0.69 to 1.09], P=0.23). Among children who ate meat or meat alternatives according to recommendations, red meat consumption was not associated with serum ferritin (0.33 μg/L [95% CI −2.51 to 3.54], P =0.83) or with iron deficiency (OR=1.19 [95% CI 0.70 to 2.03], P=0.50). Meat consumption according to current Canadian recommendations may not be associated with iron status in young Canadian children. This study and other evidence suggests that other modifiable determinants (e.g., daily cow's milk intake and breastfeeding duration) may be more promising targets for the prevention of iron deficiency in early childhood.