Babies Starting Solid Food Too Early

March 25, 2013

News Review from Harvard Medical School – Babies Starting Solid Food Too Early

Many mothers give their babies solid foods too early, says a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors recommend waiting until a baby is 4 months old to introduce solid foods. However, 40 percent of mothers in the study said they started solid food before that age. Nine percent started at 1 month. The most common reason for starting solids early was that "My baby is old enough to begin eating solid food." But babies are not physically ready to eat solid food during their first few months of life. They usually cannot sit up by themselves or hold their heads up well. Starting solid food early also has been linked with several conditions, including diabetes, eczema and celiac disease. The study was published March 25 in the journal Pediatrics. The New York Times, USA Today and other media wrote about it.

By Claire McCarthy, M.D.
Harvard Medical School

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

You're not supposed to give babies solid foods before 4 months of age. But 40 percent of mothers do anyway.

Babies younger than 4 months may not be ready for solid foods. Research suggests that giving solids before 4 months can increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, eczema and celiac disease. And breastfed babies who start solids early tend to stop breastfeeding sooner; given what we know about the health benefits of breastfeeding, we certainly don't want babies to stop sooner.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to understand why mothers ignore the advice of doctors. They studied 1,334 mothers, asking them questions about what they fed their babies throughout infancy, including when and why they started solids.

Compared with mothers who did not start feeding their babies solid foods early, the 40 percent who started solids before 4 months were more likely to be:

• Younger
• Unmarried
• Have less education
• Have a lower income

Most moms who started early started at about 3 months, although 9 percent started solids before the baby was 4 weeks old.

Mothers who breastfed their babies were less likely to start feeding solid foods early. Mothers who gave only formula to their babies were most likely to start early. Mothers who gave both were in between.

Interestingly, 88.9% of mothers said they started solid foods early because they thought their babies were old enough. that was the most common reason for starting solids. The second most common reason was that the baby seemed hungry, and the third was that the baby seemed to want the food.

This is very concerning. Clearly, doctors are not as effective as they need to be. And given that chronic diseases, especially obesity, are on the rise, this is one bit of doctor's advice that we need parents to listen to.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

Babies really shouldn't have solid foods before 4 months. Don't give a baby solids before 4 months.

If for some reason you want to give your baby solids sooner, talk to a doctor! Your thoughts and ideas are important. What is also important, though, is making sure that what you decide to do is the best and safest thing for your child.

You and your doctor need to work as a team. Your doctor has the medical knowledge. You have knowledge of your baby, as well as your beliefs, your hopes as a parent and the realities of your life. Together, you can make a plan that works best not only for your baby, but also for your family and your daily life.

It's also important to use your visits with the doctor to learn as much as you can about your child's development and health. Doctor visits aren't just for shots. It can be difficult to take in everything the doctor and nurse say to you during a visit. Ask for written materials, or for recommendations for good websites. In this study, the number-one reason for giving solids too early was that mothers thought their babies were old enough. That means that many parents are leaving the doctor's office without crucial information.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

Studies like this one should make us take a hard look at how doctors and parents are, or aren't, working together. Hopefully it will spur us to improve communication and education so that doctors and parents can truly work as a team.