We aimed to evaluate the consumption of protein of animal-source in the complementary diet of children of mothers with and without GD at 18 months of follow-up. A secondary analysis was performed in children participating in an ongoing study. Three groups were formed: with GD with intervention (GD+I), without GD with intervention (woGD+I) and without GD without intervention (woGD-I). The intervention consisted in monthly sessions promoting maternal lactation and orientation of complementary foods, in the first 3 months and trimonthly to month 18. The group woGD-I was given the standard information for the healthy child. The 3 groups answered 24-hour food recall and food frequency questionnaires (ff). For subanalysis, ff was analyzed with Chi2 at month 18. Adequate consumption (AC) was analyzed with the combination of ff consumption per day per week and daily frequency. AC was defined: consuming animal-source food 1 day per week and >2 times per day or >2 days a week at least once a day. The sources that contain the most iron are liver and beef. Consumption of protein of animal origin with AC: Beef consumption in the GD+I was 83.1% and woGD+I 92.9% against 77.8% in the woGD-I group (p=0.023). Group woGD-I consumed liver more frequently than the group GD+I or woGD-I (60.7% and 47%, respectively, vs 55.5%, p=0.056). Group woGD+I consumed fish more frequently than groups GD+I and woGD-I (82.1% and 65%, respectively, vs 55.5%, p=0.053). GD+I was 98.8% and 100% in woGD+I vs 100% woGD-I (p<1.0) for chicken. GD+I 42.2%, 46.4% woGD+I and 44.5% of the woGD-I(p=0.113) for pork, and GD+I 91.5 % and 96.5% in woGD+I vs 92.6% woGD-I (p=0.537) for egg. These findings support that the educational intervention focused on complementary foods encourage the AC of protein of animal-source in children 18 months of age. 

Sandra García Del Río has a Masters degree in Applied Nutrition and is now a PhD student in Clinical Epidemiology. She is currently involved with a multicentric study including an educational intervention concerning maternal and neonatal nutrition, involving hundred of pregnancies with and without gestational diabetes, with a 2-year follow up of both mothers and offspring.