A new study released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has found that feeding babies solid food too early puts them at greater risk of developing diabetes and obesity. 

 

The study of 1,482 babies in the US aged six to 36 months analysed six years of data from the National Health and Examination Survey.

 

The results of the research, which was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that only 32.5 percent of babies are introduced to food at the right time, which can have implications on their health.

 

 

"Introducing babies to complementary foods too early can cause them to miss out on important nutrients that come from breast milk and infant formula," Dr Chloe Barrera, a nutritionist at the CDC explained. 

 

"Conversely, introducing them to complementary foods too late has been associated with micronutrient deficiencies, allergies and poorer diets later in life."

 

 

According to current HSE guidelines, "You should start giving your baby solid foods when they are around six months old, as well as breast or formula milk.

 

"Before six months, your baby's gut is still developing and they need only breast or formula milk. Weaning too soon may increase the risk of infections and allergies."

 

They also recommend you wait until your baby has:

• Good head control

• Shows interest in food

• Is able to sit up with support

• Starts to look for milk feeds more frequently over more than a week

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