Infant consumption of 100% lactose‐based and reduced lactose infant formula in the United States: Review of NHANES data from 1999 to 2020

Abstract Objectives An acceptable alternative to human milk is US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)‐registered infant formula, which must meet the requirements of the US FDA Infant Formula Act. Human milk contains lactose, but some infant formulas may contain alternative carbohydrate sources such as corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, and sucrose. Recent research shows that infant‐formula made with corn syrup solids may be associated with increased obesity risk in the first 5 years of life. A previous study found that of all formulas purchased, 59.0% were lactose‐reduced. More US infants consume infant formula with nonlactose carbohydrates more frequently than is medically necessary. The purpose of this study is to use National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to describe the type and prevalence of nonlactose carbohydrates consumed in infant formula. Methods NHANES data from 1999 to 2020 was used to perform cross‐sectional analyses and analyses of comparison of prevalence over time on consumption of nonlactose carbohydrate sources in infant formulas. Results We identified 3709 unique infant identifiers associated with 36,084 feeding sessions. More than half of the feeding sessions involved a formula with at least one nonlactose carbohydrate. Feeding sessions involving a formula with at least one nonlactose carbohydrate increased by 163% from 1999–2004 to 2017–2020; formulas containing single or multiple nonlactose carbohydrate types account for the increase in prevalence. Conclusions This study highlights an increase in the consumption of infant formula containing a nonlactose carbohydrate. More studies are needed to understand the short‐ and long‐term effects of early exposure to these carbohydrates.