PEDIATRICS Vol. 96 No. 5 November 1995, pp. 1019-1022
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dwyer, J. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dwyer, J. T.

Dietary Fiber for Children: How Much?

Johanna T. Dwyer DSc, RD1

1 Department of Medicine (Nutrition) and Community Health and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University Schools of Medicine and of Nutrition; and the Frances Stern Nutrition Center, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA

Background. Dietary fiber intakes of most American children are lower than current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. Intakes of vegetarian children come closer to these levels.

Results. We summarize dietary fiber recommendations for children based on existing evidence. The general public needs guidance on appropriate fiber intake levels for children and adolescents. It is important to ensure that energy intakes are adequate by monitoring child weight, growth, and size, especially when fiber intakes are very high. At levels of "age plus 5 g" there seem to be few problems.

Conclusions. Age plus 5 g is a reasonable recommendation and is easier to remember than others by weight or energy level, although it never exceeds them. Age plus 15 g is clearly excessive; there is less evidence about ill effects arising with age plus 10 g. Delivery of dietary fiber in food rather than by supplements is suggested to ensure intakes of other nutrients and to avoid medicalizing dietary intake. In addition to dietary fiber recommendations for the general population of healthy children, individualized recommendations may be necessary for some high-risk groups. Practical steps to increase child fiber intakes from food sources are provided. The article concludes with suggestions for further research. Age plus 5 g is a reasonable minimum recommendation for dietary fiber intakes for children older than 3 years of age.