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Why are babies weaned early? Data from a prospective population based cohort study
C M Wright1, K N Parkinson, R F Drewett
1Department of Child Health, University of Glasgow, UK. charlotte.wright@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Insights
Most infants start solids before 4 months, earlier than recommended. Early weaning, influenced by factors like rapid weight gain and socioeconomic status, is linked to increased infant diarrhea risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infant Health
- Public Health
Background:
- UK infant feeding guidelines recommend introducing solids at 6 months.
- Current practices show most infants are weaned before 4 months.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify predictors of infant weaning age.
- To investigate the relationship between weaning age, infant weight gain, and morbidity.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 923 term infants using questionnaires and diaries.
- Data from 707 infants (77%) on weaning age, weight, and health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Median weaning age was 3.5 months; 21% started before 3 months.
- Early weaning predictors: rapid early weight gain, lower socioeconomic status, perceived infant hunger, feeding mode.
- No link between post-6-week weight gain and weaning age.
- Weaning before 3 months increased diarrhea risk compared to after 4 months.
Conclusions:
- Social factors influence weaning timing, but most infants start solids before 4 months without issues.
- Earlier weaning is associated with a higher incidence of minor infant morbidity, including diarrhea.
Background:
The recommended age of introduction of solids food to the diet of infants (weaning) has recently been increased in the UK to 6 months, but most babies are still weaned before the age of 4 months.
Aims:
To examine what predicts the age of weaning and how this relates to weight gain and morbidity using data from a population based cohort.
Methods:
Parents of 923 term infants born in a defined geographical area and recruited shortly after birth were studied prospectively using postal questionnaires, weaning diaries, and routinely collected weights, of whom 707 (77%) returned data on weaning.
Results:
The median age of first weaning solids was 3.5 months, with 21% commencing before 3 months and only 6% after 4 months of age. Infants progressed quickly to regular solids with few reported difficulties, even when weaned early. Most parents did not perceive professional advice or written materials to be a major influence. The strongest independent predictors of earlier age at weaning were rapid weight gain to age 6 weeks, lower socioeconomic status, the parents' perception that their baby was hungry, and feeding mode. Weight gain after 6 weeks was unrelated to age of weaning. Babies weaned before 3 months, compared to after 4 months, had an increased risk of diarrhoea.
Conclusions:
Social factors had some influence on when weaning solids were introduced, but the great majority of all infants were established on solids before the previously recommended age of 4 months, without difficulty. Earlier weaning was associated with an increased rate of minor morbidity.
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