Are our babies hungry? Food insecurity among infants in urban clinics

Background: Food insecurity (FI) is common, but studies in families with infants are rare.

Objectives: To determine prevalence of FI, assess the effect public benefits have on FI, assess strategies to stretch nutritional resources (eg, using generic formula), and investigate FI's relationship to anthropometric measurements.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was completed. FI was classified using the US Department of Agriculture's 6-item indicator set. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 144 infant caregivers was surveyed. Thirty-one percent endorsed FI. FI was more common among those receiving WIC and SNAP (39% vs 22%; P .05). Fifteen percent stretched infant formula (27% FI vs 9% food secure; P .01), 58% would not use generic formula, and 50% believed that generic and brand name formulas were not equivalent. There was no significant association between FI and anthropometric measurements.

Conclusions: FI and formula stretching were common, even among families receiving public benefits. Many families were cautious about using generic formula.