Feeding infants appropriately is critical to nutrition and development; it is also an important strategy for preventing or delaying the development of allergies. Yet many important aspects of infant feeding, especially patterns of introduction of solid foods and allergenic foods, have been little studied. Moreover, when these aspects have been studied, research has been conducted primarily in small, local samples. In this study, we examine these aspects of infant feeding patterns using data from a national sample of more than 1,000 mother-infant pairs, beginning in the perinatal period and continuing through the first year. We compare the prevalence of regular consumption of solid foods at months 2-6 for breastfeeding and formula feeding infants. Similarly, we compare the prevalence of regular consumption of dairy products, excluding infant formula, and peanut products at months 2-7, 9, and 12 months for breastfeeding and formula feeding infants. Results indicate that nearly 40% of mothers introduce solid foods earlier than recommended. Allergenic foods are more likely to be delayed, but dairy products are fed to 20 percent of infants by age 7 months, and peanut products are fed to 8% of infants by age 9 months. Breastfeeding mothers are less likely than formula feeding mothers to introduce solid foods and dairy products early.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe patterns of introduction of solid foods to infants by middle-class mothers. 2. Describe differences between breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers in patterns of introduction of solid foods to infants. 3. Describe patterns of introduction to infants of allergenic foods
Keywords: Breast Feeding, Infant Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.