Babies shouldn’t get solid food until 6 months of age
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found many mothers are feeding babies solid foods earlier than the recommended age of six months, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends solid foods are introduced to infants no earlier than six months of age.
“Solid foods were being started before 4 months in about half of those kids,” said Dr. Deb Lonzer, a pediatrician from the Cleveland Clinic, who did not participate in the study. “And in about 10 percent of them, it was actually being started in the first four weeks of life.”
CDC researchers questioned more than 1,300 mothers, and found 40 percent were introducing solid foods before 4 months old.
The top three reasons for doing so included “My baby was old enough;” “My baby seemed hungry,” and “I wanted to feed my baby something in addition to breast milk or formula.”
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