Food for the weanling: the next priority in infant nutrition

The 1970s saw a revolution in the nutritional welfare of the suckling but half way through the 1980s we have yet to achieve the same success with the weanling. In the developing world the malnutrition/diarrhoea complex is a major threat to the weanling's life. Throughout the world rickets and iron deficiency are common problems. These three, protein-energy malnutrition/diarrhoea, rickets and iron deficiency anaemia are the major nutritional problems of the weanling but there are others e.g. zinc deficiency, allergy, obesity. As the weanling crosses the bridge from suckling to schoolchild he will eat the suckling's food, specially prepared weaning foods, and eventually "sensible" family foods. Beneath this bridge we need to erect a safety net of fortified foods ensuring an adequate supply of such nutrients as iron and vitamin D.