Sodium intake of 1 to 5-year-old children: the STRIP Project

The aim of this study is to examine sodium intake and dietary sodium source s of 1-5-y-old children in a prospective, randomized long-term coronary hea rt disease prevention trial, focused on dietary fat modification. Counselli ng included no advice about reducing salt in the children's diets. Food con sumption of 100 intervention children and 100 control children was recorded for 3 consecutive days at the age of 13 mo and for 4 consecutive days at t he ages of 3 and 5 y. Sodium intakes were calculated using the Micro Nutric a program. Children's mean daily sodium (NaCl) consumption (intervention an d control children combined) was 1600 +/- 527 mg (4.0 +/- 1.3 g), 1900 +/- 504 mg (4.8 +/- 1.3 g) and 2200 +/- 531 mg (5.5 +/- 1.3 g) at the ages of 1 3 mo and 3 and 5 y, respectively. The intervention children consumed as muc h or slightly more sodium than the control children at all ages studied. Ha lf the sodium consumption was derived from added salt in commercially prepa red or homemade foods. Milk, meat products, bread and cereals were other im portant sodium sources. In conclusion, nutrition counselling in the Special Turku Coronary Risk Fac tor intervention Project (STRIP) trial, with its main focus on the quality of fat in child nutrition, has had minimal influence on children's sodium i ntake. To avoid excessive sodium intake in children, dietary counselling sh ould include information about salt use, and food manufacturers should be e ncouraged to provide more low-sodium products.