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Infant feeding practices and associated factors through the first 9 months of life in Bavaria, Germany
Barbara Rebhan1, Martina Kohlhuber, Ursula Schwegler
1Department of Environmental Health, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Agency, Oberschleissheim, Germany. Barbara.Rebhan@lgl.bayern.de
Insights
Early introduction of solid foods in infants is linked to shorter breastfeeding duration. Improved infant nutrition requires promoting breastfeeding and educating parents on appropriate complementary feeding timing, especially for at-risk groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infant Feeding Practices
- Public Health
Background:
- Current infant feeding practices in Bavaria, Germany, were examined over the first nine months of life.
- The study aimed to assess adherence to national recommendations for infant nutrition.
- Factors influencing the early introduction of complementary foods were investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate infant feeding and breastfeeding practices in Bavaria, Germany.
- To identify factors associated with the early introduction of semisolid foods.
- To compare infant feeding practices against established national guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 3103 infants in Bavaria, Germany.
- Data collected via questionnaires administered at 6 days, and 2, 4, 6, and 9 months of age.
- Analysis focused on timing of complementary feeding and associated maternal and infant factors.
Main Results:
- Significant variability observed in the introduction of complementary feeding.
- Only 16.4% of infants received solid/semisolid food before 5 months.
- Early introduction of fluids and shorter breastfeeding duration (<4 months) were significant risk factors, alongside maternal factors like low education, young age, and smoking.
Conclusions:
- Promoting breastfeeding duration according to recommendations is crucial for infant nutrition.
- Enhanced counseling on the appropriate timing for introducing semisolid foods is needed.
- Targeted support for mothers with short or no breastfeeding duration, young mothers, and those with lower education levels is recommended.
Objectives:
To investigate infant feeding and breast-feeding practices during the first 9 months of life in Bavaria, Germany, in relation to recommendations and to identify factors associated with early feeding of semisolid food.
Materials And Methods:
Data from 3103 infants throughout Bavaria, Germany, were collected in a prospective cohort study. Questionnaires were administered at the age of 6 days, and 2, 4, 6, and 9 months.
Results:
There was a considerable variety concerning the time when complementary feeding was introduced. Only 16.4% of the infants ate solid/semisolid food before the age of 5 months. Most of the infants received as their first solid food a mash of vegetable, meat, and potato. Compared to national guidelines fluids were introduced early. More than 37% of the breast-fed infants received additional fluids/formula. The strongest risk factor associated with complementary feeding before the fifth month was breast-feeding duration of less than 4 months (any breast-feeding) with an odds ratio of 8.57 (95% confidence interval 6.16-11.94). Other factors were low level of education, young age of the mother, smoking habit of the mother, and mother not being born in Germany.
Conclusions:
Further improvements in nutrition of infants may be achieved in 2 ways: promotion of breast-feeding according to current recommendations and better counselling on the correct timing of introduction of semisolid food-especially for parents of not- or short-time breast-fed babies and focused on young mothers with low levels of education.
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