Characteristics associated with feeding organic foods during complementary feeding: the nationwide Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l’Enfance (ELFE) birth cohort

Summary

Organic food consumption and its effects on health remain understudied in adults and in children. The aim of this study was to describe family characteristics associated with feeding infants organic foods during the complementary feeding period. The analysis included 9,764 children from the French ELFE birth cohort. In addition to telephone interviews conducted at 2, 12 and 24 months, a monthly questionnaire about milk feeding and complementary foods (including organic foods) was completed by parents between 3 and 10 months. Associations between family characteristics and feeding with organic foods during complementary feeding were analyzed by multivariable multinomial logistic regression. Overall, 51% of infants never consumed organic food during the complementary feeding period (up to 10 months), 24% sometimes, 15% often and 9% always or almost always. As compared with infants never fed organic foods, those "often" or "always" fed organic foods were born to older mothers, with higher education level or family income, and lower pre-pregnancy body mass index. As compared with never-smoking women, women who had stopped smoking before pregnancy were more likely to feed their infant organic foods. Feeding with organic foods was also related to long breastfeeding duration and later introduction to complementary foods. To conclude, associations between feeding with organic foods and family socioeconomic position as well as infant feeding practices need to be considered when studying the impact of organic foods on children's health and development.