Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition organized the 11th edition of the African Meeting of Infant Nutrition (RANI) in Casablanca, Morocco, on February 27 and 28, 2020.
The theme of this 11th edition: “Preventing iron deficiency in African children: how important is iron absorption and digestive health?”
The 11th edition of the African Meeting of Infant Nutrition (RANI) was devoted to the importance of iron during the first 1,000 days, and to the prevention of iron deficiency in Africa. The latter may be isolated, or sometimes associated with anemia. Very often, this is due to a low bioavailability of iron in the food consumed1. Non-absorbed iron can then accumulate in intestinal lumen, promoting inflammation and the growth of potential pathogens2.3. It is therefore essential to look for nutritional solutions for children that allow good iron absorption in order to prevent iron deficiency while preserving their digestive health. To this end, awareness programs and nutritional strategies are being developed in Africa, notably through the introduction of prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) in infant formulas.
Publication : 11th edition of the African Meeting of Infant Nutrition
References
*scGOS/lcFOS: short chain galacto-oligosaccharides, long-chain fructo-oligosaccharide
- Diouf S et al. Prévalence et déterminants de l’anémie chez le jeune enfant en Afrique francophone – Implication de la carence en fer. Arch Ped 2015; 22: 1188-97
- Zimmermann MB et al. The effects of iron fortification on the gut microbiota in African children: A randomized controlled trial in Côte d’Ivoire. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 92: 1406-15
- Jaeggi T et al. Iron fortification adversely affects the gut microbiome, increases pathogen abundance and induces intestinal inflammation in Kenyan infants. Gut 2015; 64: 731-42.
BA20-568