Appropriate introduction of solids: Another reason to promote breastfeeding

摘要

Does it matter which foods parents and carers choose to feed infants in their care, or at what age they first expose them to solids? Although currently under review, the 2003 National Health and Medical Research Council Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers1 report that it is rare for infants to need solids before 4 months of age and that most infants will be introduced to solids before 6 months of age. Breast milk meets the nutritional requirements for most infants up until approximately 6 months, with the guidelines recommending that iron-enriched infant cereal be first food introduced, followed gradually by vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry and fish.1 Although the order is considered optional, the nutrient content and texture are important considerations with an increasing range and quantity of foods to be offered and consumed as the infant approaches 12 months of age.1 There are two important points of note during this period. First, the assumption that breastfeeding should continue to be promoted and second, that energy-dense, nutrient-poor, non-core items, sometimes referred to as 'extras', do not appear on the recommended list of foods to offer infants.