Interventions to mitigate infant food insecurity in high-income countries: an overview of current evidence.

Singal, Kusum; Douglas, Flora; Mackie, Phil; Paranjothy, Shantini; Brazzelli, Miriam

Abstract

Infant food insecurity (IFI) is a critical and often overlooked issue in high-income countries. This scoping review aims to identify and summarise interventions that reduce food insecurity or improve nutrition amongst families with infants in these regions. We searched the major electronic databases and websites of relevant UK and international organisations from 2010 to 2023 to identify reports written in English assessing food insecurity affecting infants (aged 0 to 2 years). The findings were presented in tables and summarised narratively. Out of 6194 records identified, 104 studies were screened, with only two studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Both studies were conducted in the USA. The KIND (Keeping Infants Nourished and Developing) intervention improved preventive care for food-insecure families, increasing lead level test completion rates and well-infant visits, but it did not affect weight-for-length at 9 months. The GWCC (Group Well-Child Care) intervention aimed at promoting responsive feeding amongst low-income caregivers but showed no significant impact on infant growth in the first year. However, caregiver interviews revealed important feeding-related themes. Evidence on interventions addressing infant food insecurity is limited, with none found in the UK. The KIND and GWCC interventions showed mixed outcomes, improving some aspects of care but not significantly affecting infant growth metrics. These findings highlight the need for further research to develop more effective strategies to address the nutritional needs of vulnerable infants in high-income countries.

Citation

SINGAL, K., DOUGLAS, F., MACKIE, P., PARANJOTHY, S. and BRAZZELLI, M. 2025. Interventions to mitigate infant food insecurity in high-income countries: an overview of current evidence. Nutrire [online], 50, article number 37. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41110-025-00343-5

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 11, 2025
• Online Publication Date: May 22, 2025
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2025
• Deposit Date: May 27, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 27, 2025
• Journal: Nutrire
• Electronic ISSN: 2316-7874
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 37
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41110-025-00343-5
• Keywords: Scoping review; Infant food insecurity; Food insecurity interventions
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2848588
• Additional Information: This article has been published with separate supporting information. This supporting information has been incorporated into a single file on this repository and can be found at the end of the file associated with this output.