Adherence to methods of food introduction
Follow-up data on family adherence to the CF method were collected until the end of the first year of life when children were seven, nine, and 12 months old.The interview was conducted by a researcher blinded to the method using a standardized questionnaire designed for this study on food consistency and form of offering. It was questioned whether most of the time the food was liquidized, scraped, mashed, sieved, or cut into strips and of the same consistency as the family’s food. Regarding the form of offer, those responsible answered whether the children took the food to their mouths alone or if they received complementary foods by spoon-feeding them up. Answers were provided as yes or no.At the 7-month interview, by phone, at nine months of age, home visits, and 12 months of age, at the HCPA Clinical Research Center (CRC), Porto Alegre.During the COVID-19 pandemic, at 9 months 50.7% (Adherence to the method was separated by feeding mode (if children received food from a spoon or took it to their mouths with their hand) and food consistency (if the food was liquidized, scraped, mashed, sieved, or cut into strips and the same consistency of the family’s food). Adherence to PLW was represented by parents who offered food with a spoon (feeding mode) and of a liquidized, scraped, mashed, or sieved consistency (food consistency) most of the time. Adherence to BLISS was represented by children who took food (feeding mode) of the same consistency as their family’s or in strips to their mouths (food consistency), and adherence to the mixed method was represented by those who used alternating feeding modes and consistencies most of the time. Most of the time was defined as the child’s usual diet or 75% of meals.