In a new study published in the medical journal Pediatrics, upwards of 40% of mothers were found to be feeding their infants solid foods far too early.
The longitudinal study, known as the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, showed that between 2005 and 2007 40.4% of mother fed their infants solid food before four months of age. This reportedly represents an increase of about 29% from earlier studies.
Back when the study was conducted, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that babies be fed solid food starting at between four and six months of age. In 2012, the AAP changed those recommendations to a minimum of six months.
The study, which was just released online today, noted that mothers who fed their infants formula as opposed to those who exclusively breast-fed were more than twice as likely (53% to 24%) to engage in premature food introduction.
What is most unsettling about these findings is that the numbers probably represent a conservative estimate. The study was found to be more likely to enlist older, higher income mothers as participants.
"Mothers of lower socioeconomic status are at a higher risk of early solid food introduction," the study says. "It is reasonable to think that our sample may underestimate the prevalence of early solid food introduction."
The mothers cited the fact that "my baby was old enough" as the most popular reason (88.9%) why they began feeding their children before 4 months. Other reasons included:
"My baby seemed hungry a lot of the time" (71.4%)
"My baby wanted the food I ate" (66.8%)
"I wanted to feed my baby something in addition to breast milk or formula" (64.8%)
"It would help my baby sleep longer at night." (46.4%)
Perhaps what is most confusing is the fact that more than half of mothers (55%) reported that they began feeding their infants early at the advice of their doctors. This would indicate either a lack of clear, definitive knowledge in the medical community, or at the very least, poor communication between mothers and doctors.
There are a number of problems associated with early feeding of solid foods to infants. Serving solid food prematurely can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, eczema, and celiac disease. The authors of the study hope that these latest findings can inform parents of proper infant care and of the dangers of what is perceived to be an otherwise mundane decision.
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