Did You Know? Feeding Babies Solids Early Tied to Obesity

Feeding Babies Solids Early Tied to Obesity: Formula-fed infants who start on solid foods before the age of four months have a higher risk of obesity by three years compared to those who start solid foods later‚ according to Harvard researchers. Researchers found no association between the timing of weaning and obesity in breast–fed infants. This new research supports the current American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to begin solid foods at four to six months of age. The study involved data from 847 children who are part of a broader study known as Project Viva. The formula–fed babies who were given solid food before four months had a six–fold increase in the risk of becoming obese at age three compared with the formula–fed babies who first received solid food between four and five months. Pediatrics, Feb. 2011