Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS)
The FITS (Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study) and KNHS (Kids Nutrition and Health Study) are Nestlé Research initiatives to explore eating patterns, nutrient intakes and food sources of nutrients among infants and children in different countries around the world. FITS and KNHS use data from national surveys when available, but when data are not available for age groups of interest, we collect our own large-scale cross-sectional surveys.
FITS and KNHS use 24-h recalls to assess individual-level dietary intakes for children birth to 12 years old
FITS was first initiated in 2002 and has since grown to include 9 countries, and over 20,000 infants and toddlers
Nestlé Research-sponsored studies have been conducted in Brazil, China, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates and the United States
Research collaborations allowed access to national surveys from Australia, China, Mexico, the Philippines and Russia
Trends in dietary intake patterns have been evaluated in Australia, China and the US
Since the initial FITS in 2002, about 90 articles and nearly 100 collaborators have been published from the FITS and KNHS
Iron-Fortified Foods Are Needed To Meet the Estimated Average Requirement for …
Read articles about FITS/KIDS
Key Findings & Cross-Country Comparisons from FITS
The FITS studies explore eating patterns, nutrient intakes and food sources of nutrients among infants and children in different countries around the world. Key highlights of FITS include low breastfeeding rates in many countries, early introduction of cow’s milk, inadequate iron intakes among infants, but excessive intakes of sodium in toddlers.
The Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (FITS) in US has shown that about half of US children between 4 and 6 months consume juice, much more than infants and toddlers in other countries. Inadequate intakes of iron is a significant problem affecting almost 20% of infants 6-11 months. The US FITS 2016 was a national survey that included 3,235 infants and young children.
